Resurrection
by Casper2201
Summary: Three years ago Anya was reawakened, for what no one is quite sure. Now she has been sent to Mystic Falls in order to hide from The Others to be safe. But with Damon, no-one is safe. Can she get the answers she needs from him? Or will he betray her? D/OC ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1: New Beginnings

A/N: Hey this is my first Vampire Diaries fan fiction, so wish me luck it picks up at **Season 1, Episode 15: ****A Few Good Men****, **and carries on from there. I intend to stick closely to the show's plot but do remember as its from an other characters pov most of the time you wont see as much of what's happening and just hear about it. Also I know it will annoy some of you but I wont openly state what Anya is until chapter three but those who have read the books may already have an idea.

I don't own the Vampire Diaries or any of the associated features. I hope you enjoy and please review.

The car drove slowly around each corner hugging the road as it slithered through the trees, my eyes hurt and the never ending sea of emerald and slick black in front of me had me seeing spots. Virginia sure was green. My eyes burned with exhaustion, the same fire in fact that was raging in my whole body right now but I couldn't stop, I needed to get there and fast, as it was becoming a struggling to keep myself hidden and out of sight for much longer. The leather of the steering wheel was crushed and beneath my hands as I held on for dear life trying just for a little bit longer to stay awake, this small town couldn't be far now could it?

My eyes flicked over to the map on the passenger seat and the very brief amount of information I had been given Mystic Falls Virginia, an address was hastily scrawled on a piece of paper along with a list of instructions of what I needed to do once I got there. They were the usual crap Mark gave me whenever he dumped me off somewhere new and 'safe', the first few were kind of obvious and very mundane. Call me, unpack all your stuff etc but then you got to the more- how to word it- specialised instructions that to 95% of the humans would seem overprotective and down right obsessive; don't invite anyone in no matter what, stay out of the woods at night, don't talk to anyone suspicious and (Mark's favourite) don't do anything stupid. His advice was not really necessary anymore after all I was technically twenty two now, even if the official line to the people of Mystic Falls was that I was only nineteen. I guess it was the price we had to pay for what had happened, everyone always tells me it's a gift but in reality it's far from it. I never asked for this and I would wish it upon no-one.

A sign interrupted my brooding as it announced my arrival in the infamous Mystic Falls. I wanted to put my foot to the floor and speed all the way to the house I wanted but I didn't want to get the police on my tail and draw more attention to myself, the car it seemed by the gawks of teenage boys was already doing enough of that. My one and only indulgence in life was this car, I had little possessions due to a constantly moving and very few keepsakes but the one thing I did have was this car, my black 2009 Chevrolet Camaro. Its black tinted windows meant people couldn't see in at me and the speed it moved at made it a brilliant getaway car. The only downfall was that it was memorable and despite Mark's never ending pleas that I get rid of it, there was no way in hell I was giving this car up. I moved through the streets until I found myself in the towns centre, I chewed on my rose lips curious as to if a walk was completely out of order, this place doesn't look evil? It looks quaint and old. I shrugged as I pushed forward in the car until I was pretty much out of town. "Take the second turn off on your right up into the woods; if you pass a boarding house you have taken the wrong route." I recited Mark's parting words as I searched for a turn off.

I had been driving down the road for a good fifteen minutes before the second turn off appeared and as the car crunched down the woodland path I realized that up ahead there was a cross roads, a fork in the road. I growled loudly and slammed my hands off the wheel, I tried deep breathing but I was already seeing red, the tight band that I had controlling myself was beginning to tear and my control was slipping, I hummed out my mother's lullaby to calm myself before throwing the car down the route to the left and sure enough after god only knows how long I pulled up in front of a huge house.

I knew this is where I was supposed to be based purely on the fact the overgrown weeds surrounding the house, the broken windows and general lack of care for the place. It wasn't my charming guardian's style to pick somewhere that was well cared for. I parked the car as close to the door and climbed out. The wind blew over my caressing my porcelain skin as I leaned against the car door. The sun was warm and just being able to be outside in the warmth felt good, I had missed the sun. The last place I has lived was Seattle and if a year there taught me anything; it was that Seattle was never sunny. i ran my fingers through my long chestnut and bronze curls, taking my hair down from its ponytail and I soon felt my hair tickling the middle of my pack where it fell. Right time to unpack, I quickly stretched out my long legs and cracked my back, the one thing they always fail to tell you as a child when they are repeating the mantra of "growing up to be big and strong" is that the taller you get the more painful it is to sit down for a long period of time. I mean I was no giant above the average height, what was Mark had said I was again? 5ft 9" I think? I shook my head and finally began to unpack, following a well practiced routine.

It was early afternoon by the time I had finished setting up the house. Unpacking was easy I had a total of two boxes of clothes and another one of photos. You see usually we had a lot more stuff and I was followed a day later by a moving van but not this time, as Mark had come ahead himself and fully stocked the house. The house and its huge kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, a study, a living room, a dining room, a cellar and I could continue on the list of rooms but I would be here all day. The house was huge and old. Mark had stocked every single room full to the brim of everything you would ever want or need in it and then added all the stuff you didn't. This was something in all our years of running he had never done, we usually just pick up what we need along the way and leave most of it behind when we run anyway but not this time. Maybe he really did mean it when he said I was staying here for good this time. I pulled my phone out and called his number quickly eager to hear his voice and sure he enough he picked up on the first ring.

"Anya? " His English accent stronger than ever echoed down the phone and I knew exactly where he had gone this time.

"Yeah Mark it's me, I take it you went back home then oh father of mine." I laughed down into the phone.

"Oh Ha ha your very funny and you know I hate it when you call me that, kiddo, I may be your guardian but I am no father." He laughed at his own play on the word guardian. "So do you like the house?" I smiled at how warm and comforting it was to just hear him speak, I didn't have parents or barely any family left for that matter but I did have Mark and his constant bossing, controlling nature had lead me to see him as the father I had lost. I just wish I could remember my own family but for now Mark made due as my mum, dad and brother.

"It's great, very you- old and dusty." He snorted loudly at my remark.

"I see you put all my stuff in the master bedroom, good choice but I can't help but see now of your stuff is here..." I trailed off toward the end, for some reason he hadn't moved himself in.

"After all it is a 7 bedroom mansion that was grade 2 listed because of the lavishly decorated dining room/reception room whose ceiling and columns were decorated in the intricate Moorish style. It had a library, huge gardens with access to the river and was spread over three floors." He recited it off perfectly, clearly he had been practicing. I ignored his comment as I never had been very much into material things; they only lasted so long with this lifestyle.

"I see you put all my stuff in the master bedroom, good choice but I can't help but see now of your stuff is here..." I trailed off toward the end, for some reason he hadn't moved himself in.

"Well about that, Anya, I won't be coming to get you for some time. We all feel it would be better for you to try and be by yourself for a little while but we will be watching, as always." His voice was tight and constricted, he was being watched.

"By 'we' you mean 'they' have decided and you are having to go along with it right?" bitterness was clear in my voice.

"Look, you and I both know I have no say in this. They got too close in Seattle and we only want you to be safe. I better go, I will call you tonight. Sit rector lux in tenebris vos dulcis angeli." Mark murmured the parting softly at the end as always.

"Sit lumen intrare." I answered in my own reply as I hung up the phone and I couldn't help but remember when they first instructed me to use Latin as a goodbye, I leaned back against the stairs and drifted off into the past.

"You've got to be kidding me!" I screamed at Mark, his amber eyes glittering in the sunlight as we sat in the garden behind the temple.

It was the most beautiful place I had ever seen, the long emerald grass was so soft almost like silk, the flowers were so varied. All colours of roses swayed gently, lilies, orchids and so many more I didn't know the names of but admired their rainbow colours all the same. There was a little stream and mini waterfall someone had crafted with great granite slabs at the based of the garden next to the oak trees and south wall of the garden. When they first took me here I thought to was the garden of Eden and no matter how many times they correct me I am still certain it is. My eyes drifted up to the great dome roof where it lay hidden by the tall streamers, it was as if someone had taken a jungle and placed it in here. I could here all sorts of animals creeping about in the bush. There was no denying the magic of the garden, the never ending garden that seemed to stretch for miles and no doubt it probably did. This was my favourite place and the place I often made Mark take me for my lessons.

I guess you could say it was kind of like a garden centre in here, with its array of glittery fish, hundreds of different brightly coloured birds and so many plant species it was unreal. Marks voice different up and I tuned back in to listen.

"No seriously, this is how we say goodbye, now sit up straight and repeat after me because the elders are watching you right now." He hit my leg where I lay back soaking up the sweet English sun, I groaned as I sat up straight facing him.

"They are always watching." I stated simply and Mark smiled sympathetically.

"It's only because they have waited so long for you my dear. Now the goodbye, for you is different from everyone else-"

"Oh joy, I get a special goodbye as well!" I cut in, earning a stern look so I beamed up at him and waved for him to continue.

"For you my dear when people say goodbye to you they shall say 'Sit rector lux in tenebris vos dulcis angeli' which very loosely means 'Let there be light in the darkness, the ruler of you sweet angels'." I scoffed a laugh as I rolled my eyes but it was ignored as Mark continued on regardless. "To which you reply- 'Sit lumen intrare' which is roughly again 'let the light in'. Now you try"

"Sit lamen enter?" my tongue was too clumsy to pronounce the words with the same elegant grace as everyone else, earning a loud laugh from my teacher. I sung my hand out and hit him in the arm.

"Hey, combat isn't until later for now we practice Latin. Again Il mio dolce angelo." Mark laughed loaudly as i growled in defeat.


	2. Chapter 2: Oh Aren't You So Punny

_A/N: Here is Chapter two, again I don't own anything I just like to add my own spin on things. Hope you all enjoy and please review._

The sky glittered midnight blue by the time I had finished clearing up the garden outside, banished were the weeds and tamed was the long grass. The house now looked warm and inviting as if someone who cared lived here, I smiled broadly knowing that I now did. I stuffed my hands into my tracksuit bottoms and look over my mud covered outfit, looks like showering is next on the agenda. I went straight through the huge doors, closing and latching them before running up the marble staircase.

I pulled off my converse about half way up and discarded them there. The marble was cool against my feet as I ran up the last of the stairs to the top floor, where the only rooms where the master bedroom, a small study and a bathroom. The bedroom, that had been set up as mine was filled with huge black furniture, and a soft cream carpet. On the right of the room was a long bookcase filled with books and trinkets that I had picked up over the years. On the left there was a 3 door wardrobe, a cheaster draws and a collection of photos up on the wall. Straight across from the door was a huge four-poster bed, draped with chiffon black and red fabric and the bedding itself was black also. I quickly grabbed a clean pair of jeans, a flowing black top with a beaded neckline that scooped just above my breast and clean underwear. I was going to explore this town's nightlife this evening; I hadn't had a real night out since I met Mark all those years ago.

As I climbed in the shower I welcomed the warm water as it fell down over me, it unlocked all the knots in my back form the years of constant stress and I couldn't help but feel hopeful that for once I would be able to live a normal life. A laugh hung on my lips, me? Anya- or Anastasia to use my full name- normal? It was highly unlikely but it was worth a shot. My nose wrinkled as I wondered if Mark ever did enrol me in school here, he usually always did when we moved. The human experience being one that non of my ancestors had been granted to experience, so I should grab the opportunity to be schooled with both hands but I was said to be nineteen in this town, so school was not an option, unless he wanted the locals to believe I was dim and was having to repeat high school? I scoffed loudly as I turned the shower off, I was anything but stupid. Minus the elders, you would struggle to find a better educated person than myself, I was forced to learn all I could about maths, science, history and hell I even spoke Latin! The last few times I had been sent to school I had gotten into disagreements with teachers when they quoted facts wrong but I guess it isn't there fault the facts weren't documented properly.

Slipping out the shower found myself drying and dressing quickly, for some reason I found myself rushing, I couldn't put my finger on it but I wanted out the house. Almost as if I had somewhere important to be. As I shook out my wet hair, nope I just never liked being naked- okay that's a lie there was a phase where I didn't really understand much and clothes were the least of my problem, lets just put it this way a lot of people seen a lot more than they needed too. Red rushed to my cheeks as I blushed furiously at the memories. I started to sing some catchy pop song that had been on the radio as I was working, in an effort to forget those more delicate memories and finished getting ready.

I have never seemed to take long to get ready, probably because I don't follow the same obsessive routine as most girls apparently do. I get dressed; I dry my hair into its mess of curls and flick on mascara, that's it. Taking about ten, fifteen minutes tops; five if I didn't have to dry the hair. I honestly couldn't imagine taking longer; I pondered what exactly all the other girls did to that took so long as I moved back down the stairs, picking my converse up about half way down. Only to dump them at the base of the stairs and slip on my black boots instead. They were little ankle thing with no heels and a chain looping round the back with studs- it was tres chic the woman in the store said but in all honesty they were comfortable and I needed a pair of sturdy shoes. Grabbing my keys, my purse thing that Mark had bought it was small black pouch that had a long strap that I slipped over my head and tucked it under my arm, the little bag dangling at my hip. My fingers reached for my leather jacket and I headed out the door eager to explore Mystic Falls.

The town centre was very generic of most others, cute little shops and restaurants but so far no bar. I needed someone local to direct me so I pulled the car over outside a little antique shop and laughed at how appropriate it was. A tall boy stood leaning against a lamppost up ahead, he was trying to act cool and suave as he talked to some poor girl. She was a lot smaller than him and look of Indian heritage a short black bob and dark eyes. He, well from behind looked like a football player with their usual build, had strong shoulders and I could hear how cocky he was in his voice but they looked local enough.

"Excuse me?" I asked as I reached round to tap his bulging shoulder.

"Wha-" he seemed to stop as he reeled round to bite my head off but he changed his tone immediately upon looking at me. "Yes, how can I help you miss…?"

As I looked at the boys cropped black hair and dark eyes I knew something was familiar about him, also that there was more to him .

"I am new to town and was wondering where the nearest bar was?" I smiled warmly flashing my brilliant white teeth at both him and his now disgruntled companion.

"New? Well let me introduce myself, I'm Tyler Lockwood." He extended his hand and I took it, I gasp slightly in realisation that at what lingered in his gene pool and that name, he mistook my gasp for being impressed about something and not sudden realisation.

"Yeah didn't think you would meet the mayor's son on your first night." He laughed but I interrupted his laughter.

"Oh no it's not that, its just I think I may know your uncle, Mason Lockwood? I thought you looked strangely familiar." I gave a gentle laugh of my own so not to seem strange. It was true I did know Mason very well, he had been one of the many eager too look after me when I was shipped to California. It was Mason who Mark had brought in to bring me up to date on the history of Mystic Falls, the Werewolves, Vampires and founding families before I was sent here. He was a good friend in fact.

"Well any friend of Mason is a friend of mine, there is a sort of bar, cool hangout place just down the street the Mystic Grill, I could-" I knew what he was going to suggest before he did but I lacked interest, plus I doubted I could get served with him by my side.

"Thank you so much, I will see you around Tyler, it was lovely to meet you." I smiled briefly before parting down the street and straight into the Mystic Grill. I could feel his disappointment and his wandering eyes follow me down the street.

Inside the building it was very warm and rustic, I liked it. There was a lot of chattering teenagers drifting in and out of tables, playing pool and darts. The place was pretty packed but I noticed that the bar was pretty much free, prefect. I went straight to it and settled my jacket down on the stool next to me as I pulled myself up to sit at the bar. I took a deep breath before turning my attention to the middle aged and balding barman. I waited till he was finished ogling me to hold his eye contact. He instantly fell into a sleepy trance, mesmerised my sapphire and silver eyes.

"I will have a clean scotch and keep them coming thanks." I asked smiling broadly at my own genius, and Vampires thought they were the only ones who had this compulsion thing down.

"Right away miss, I will get you your scotch" his voice was lifeless as he moved about pouring me a glass, he snapped back to normal as the compulsion set in and flashed my one hundred watt smile once more just to be safe as he slide the whisky glass across to me.

I picked the glass up and gave it a swirl, the rusty liquid seemed to sing to me. I hadn't had a real drink for years, so this probably wouldn't end well. I held my glass up to the light before uttering a quick "Das Vedanya." Before downing the glass, a warm sensation was making it way down my throat and into my stomach as the bitter after taste singed my tongue. I really did hate the taste of scotch but man did it hit the spot a slow clap interrupted my musings as I clicked my fingers signaling for the barman to get me another one.

My whole body swiveled a little too quickly for an apparent normal human, I was filled with scotch and ready to shot down whoever was mocking me and I knew the clap was mocking no-one who claps that slow is doing to be nice. However all my anger seemed to stagger when I looked at the owner of the slow clap.

He was lounging gracefully with a whole black attrite on and black messy hair too match his look of disarray. He was muscular and he looked like the stereotypical bad boy, there was no denying he handsome but that wasn't what caught me off guard. Nor was it those icy blue eyes. No it was what he was, my whole body lurched at once and yelped Vampire, I quickly regained my composure as quickly as I had lost it.

"Can I be of assistance to you?" I asked in my best condescending tone.

"No, I was merely appreciating that brilliant trick you just played on that poor barman, I mean the poor guy didn't stand a chance." He laughed at his own joke as he moved closer taking the seat next to my own. "I mean really now what's a little thing like yourself doing toying with middle aged and balding barman?" I couldn't help but laugh at his spoke my original thoughts of the barman too.

"I honestly don't know what you are insinuating; now _kiddo_, can you please go suck the fun elsewhere?" I gave him a malicious grin of my own at my little joke. He hesitated before smirking again and I wish I could wipe it off his smug face.

"I would rather grab a bite to eat right here and see what other little tricks you are packing sweet heart." He replied expertly not even missing a beat, he was aware I knew but didn't care.

"Well you shall enjoy my next one, it's a real killer." I raised my eyebrows before downing the glass of scotch and signaled yet again for another one to the barman. This time it was his turn to laugh as he shook his head, I couldn't help but smile as I watched him.

"A girl that can handle her drink, beauty and brains, and I haven't even introduced myself yet." He directed his hand towards me and I took it gentle, feigning weakness. Hopefully. "Damon Salvatore and you are?"

"Bored." I stated as I turned back to swirling my scotch. He laughed again and I realized I quite enjoyed his laughter but at the same time realized we were being watched.

There was boy by the pool table, he had the same build as Damon and had soft golden brown hair. He was watching us so intently it scared me; I knew instantly when I locked eyes with him he too was a Vampire. Mason wasn't kidding when he said the area attracted the supernatural. The boy seemed to instinctively wrap his arms around a girl I recognized instantly, Elena Gilbert. Her photo had been one of many shown to me when Mason explained about the town, she had lost her family a year ago in a car crash and it was in a folder of newspaper clippings I had a home. I shrugged before turning back to Damon, who had apparently been talking all this time.

"Damon, who is that boy over there?" I gestured with my thumb and he followed with his eyes clearly annoyed that I hadn't at all been listening. His eyes sparked with curiosity and he turned back watching me intensely like a cat watches a mouse.

"Why are you so interested in him?" he asked in return, his eyes flicking over my face for any signs of deceit.

"He has been watching us since you took to clapping at me so rudely and its pissing me off." I stated as I sipped my scotch, his eyes sparkled with amusement, clearly satisfied by my answer and lack of lying.

"Well that is the bain of my existence, my loving little brother Stefan if you must know, miss…?"There he was again trying to get my name, I groaned loudly and took the last of my scotch in one gulp. Guess I better throw him a bone before I left.

"Well maybe you should teach him some manners and the name is Anastasia but I guess you can call me Anya if you wish." I waved him off as I slipped off my barstool. My legs swayed with the alcohol taking full effect, my eyes blurred in front of me as my crystal clear vision was diminished. I giggled gently at how drunk I actually was.

"Anya it is then, let me help you." He reached out of me and I danced out of reach and beamed up at him teasingly.

"Now now, you really don't want to do that, bad things will happen." I wagged my finger at him and laughed again, he honestly didn't know just how dangerous it was to be involved with me. "But seriously I am fine." I gathered up my coat and left quickly paid off the barman. I turned to find Damon reclining with his own scotch glass in his hand watching me, highly amused. I walked over to stand between his legs and took his glass off him and finished it contents. You know, in for a penny, in for a pound. I was already too drunk, a little more wouldn't hurt. He arched his eyebrows at me.

"I would say its been a pleasure but I don't like to lie." Another flirty glance, hm could his eyebrows climb any further into his hairline? "See you later kiddo." I ruffled his hair with my free hand before turning to leave.

"Goodnight Anya." He echoed after me, as I swayed outside.

Frick, the cold hit me like a ton of bricks and I remembered that I had driven here. Time for a taxi, I turned around to grab the nearest phone box when I spied him leaning elegantly against the building, with a gentle smile and he opened his arms for a hug. I ran, stumbling slightly towards his open arms and through myself into him. He smelled like home and I snuggled in closer. He stroked my hair and I heard him murmuring to a woman next to him, I hadn't realised her being there before as I was too caught up in his presence. I clung tighter, my only living link to family that I had left and here he was.


	3. Chapter 3: Mystic Falls Bored and Horny

**A/N: Hey guys so here is chapter three and keep reviewing please. I know I said I would reveal what she was here and I sort of have :P I wont explicitly state it until a bit later though, I wont give it a name for now but no doubt if you go back and read more careful these three chapters you will get a general idea as now my hints might make more sense. **

**So the reviews have been great so far and I thank you all, I only hope you will keep reviewing for me.**

**I don't own anything but Anya and my own little unique storyline. Sorry for the lack of the main characters just now but I need to set it up. Trust me next chapter sees them a lot more **** Enjoy and thank you.**

"Anya, you gotta let go kid, I cant breath here." He chuckled in his strong voice and I released him from my boa constrictor grip. I pulled back to look up at my Uncle Rick.

"What are you doing here? What about Duke?" I asked before he even got a chance to ask his own questions.

"I teach history here now, it got boring, I would have though Mark would have filled you in, after all he did ask me to watch out for you."

"What he never said anything! He just shipped me out here, today in fact! When did he get in touch with you?" My voice was climbing to a steady shout by the end as I flew into an excited rage, Mark knew he was here and was letting me stay with family. Well Alaric was my father's best friend from childhood, or so they informed me anyway, and was the only family they had ever told me about. The rest of them had died in the fire at my home.

"Slow down kiddo, I will explain it all later but first. Anya this is the mayor's wife Carol Lockwood, Carol this is, well I guess, my niece Anastasia." He waved between as and I grew shy at how I had acted so rudely in front of her, especially seen as her brother in law had filled me in on her love for formality already. She was a living embodiment of the classic Stepford Wives.

"Sorry for my interruption Mrs Lockwood but I haven't seen Rick in ages and it was a bit overwhelming. It's a pleasure to meet you." I tried to sound as sincere as I felt but I think I failed as she looked as if something was up. I continued to watch the sweet face of the female version of Tyler Lockwood as she seem confused about something, it was as if she was analyzing me, I felt like I was back in the temple. All those doctors poking and prodding, whispers of inadequacy and spinning theories on the validity of what I was saying. Was I lying? Was I really what they had been waiting for? Was it all a hoax? So many questions, all the time they were never ending, I was never good enough. I doubt I ever would be. I was too tall, my hair wasn't the right colour, my eyes didn't sparkle or glow, I was over confident and blunt. In their opinion I was suppose to be a fragile, ice white blonde, with big glittering eyes that made people weep tears as they were so emotive. I was to be self conscious and quiet, not loud mouth and opinionated on anything. Apparently a girl of my standing should need protecting from the world, not the other way round; there was rarely a moment back at the temple when I didn't stick my size seven feet straight into my mouth. Carol's stares only reverted me back to feeling like a lab experiment rather than a person but she did something that took me by surprise as she began to laugh.

"You really are sorry aren't you?" she laughed again, she wasn't analyzing me for being strange, she was searching for a sign of insensitivity in my apology. "Don't worry about it, Alaric was actually about to come inside with me to the Bachelor auction. Why don't you join us?" she beamed broadly and I had to share in her infectious laughter.

"Well who could say no to that level of humiliation?" Alaric reached forward and slapped the back of my head, before leading me into the building behind Carol.

The room was packed with clearly the bored and horny population of Mystic Falls, Alaric informed me I had to buy a ticket to be allowed to sit and watch I quickly paid the Barbie in charge and sat down at one of the few empty tables. My eyes watched Alaric carefully, his sandy blonde head sticking up above the crowd as he tried to order a drink, I couldn't help the sinking feeling that I was missing something. The presence of Wolves, Vampire and Alaric wasn't by mistake. I was sent here for something and that's why Mark wasn't here with me, they knew well enough that whatever was going on he would intervene if it got too dangerous, if his men got too close it would be him who dealt with the problem as I was sent away to hide. It was then that I finally let myself notice it.

It was hanging in the air, I had pushed it to the back of my mind until now, something black was clinging to this town as if some great plot was about to unfold and all hell would break loose. I cringed at the thought of the bloodbath I had seen all too many times occurring here, in this seemingly peaceful little town that auctioned off their prize men. How could somewhere so sweet, be so tainted?

The strawberry hair of Jenna Sommers, the guardian of the Gilbert children, approaching Alaric provided a wonderful distraction fro potential brooding, she was worried about something. My lips curved up and my dimple carved a carter in my face as it dawned on me, the attraction between them was clear, they were acting like awkward teenagers who fancied each other like mad but were too shy to say anything. Jenna's eyes flicked nervously down to her shoes as if plucking up the courage to speak and I watched fascinated.

"That's a good look for you." She offered with a sweet yet shy smile towards Alaric, as I tuned my ears to listen only to them.

"What? Embarrassed and Uncomfortable?" He replied with his own laugh, oh how I had missed his laugh, he hadn't done much of it after Isobel's disappearance.

"Yep that's th-"my attention was diverted by someone annoyingly tapping a microphone, a small growl slipped from my teeth causing a freshman to jump behind me, not like she should be in a bar anyway. Then again I was suppose to be barely nineteen I shouldn't be either but that was beside the point.

I sat for a good five minutes as they moved through each bachelor in turn before reaching Alaric, he answered his questions as awkwardly as I expectedly but I could hear the coos of the horny housewives as they desired to 'look after him. I am honest it wasn't Alaric my attention had been on at all, it was Damon. He looked so mischievous I could only wait for his reply to Carol Lockwood's questions, I just knew it would be good. He caught my eye as I watched him and return it with a wink, causing the busy bodies around me too stir with green eyes burning into me.

Of course being as cocky as he had been earlier he continued to watch me with hawk eyes, thankfully however Carol had reached him at last and began to banter with him, Alaric shifted uncomfortable and began to clench and unclench his hands. I was missing something, some kind of altercation between the two had occurred, I raised a suspicious brow at Alaric and he mouthed through gritted teeth, 'later'. So I returned to listening to the auction but never dropping my analysis gaze.

"We don't have much on you." Stated Carol as she flirted with Damon shamelessly, well there is more too little Mrs Lockwood than I first thought.

"Well I am tough to fit on a card." Damon laughed glancing around the room, trying to catch my eye but I kept my eyes on Alaric, he was waiting for something and so was I. my chest panged with alarm as Damon uttered the one statement, the one word, that would set off Alaric and he knew it. The second it fell from his lips, Alaric tensed up and his eyes darkened with pain and hatred. Isobel.

That's all it took for Alaric's whole person to change, and my own glower to form. Damon revealed that he knew Alaric's wife and that "she was delicious," this meant only one thing Isobel disappearance was no longer and mystery. How she met an end was becoming increasingly clear. Anger boiled up as Alaric pain hit me and his rage slapped in the face. Fuck. I threw myself off my chair and all but ran down Elena Gilbert at the door where she stood shell shocked.

The cool air this time was welcome and a great distraction. Isobel had been involved with Vampires after all like they had said, on some level I hadn't wanted to believe them. So I never told Alaric what they had told me, why hurt him more with potential lies? Beside at that time he had only just learned what this was real and what I was, there was no need to send the guy over the edge. The revelation of what I was and what I was supposed to do had nearly sent to poor guy into a coma. Why complicate his life more with possibilities and rumours.

My hand reached for my car door handle and as I unlocked I couldn't help but notice a commotion in the doorway of the Mystic Grill. Damon was causing some kind of trouble with his brother and Elena. I scowled in his direction. Once a Vampire, always a dick, I scorned as I collapsed into my car. It was matter of seconds before I was speeding towards home and I fully intended on curling up in bed as soon as I reached that door.

I lost track of how long I had actually managed to sleep before I felt it. I was awoken by strange pain in my head, I tried to sit up but it only made the room sway more. I dropped swear words all over the shot as I fumbled to find a change of clothes but I couldn't see anything all I could do was feel the unbearable pain slamming against my head as sweat beaded on my forehead and my eyes blurred until everything grew fuzzy. Something wasn't right and though the pain engulfed me wholly it wasn't my pain, the pain belonged to someone else near by. I quickly began to slip on a pair of tracksuit bottoms but only to find myself falling face first to the floor, I screamed so loud the window panes began to shake and body contoured itself into shapes I didn't know it could.

Sweat didn't just bead on my forehead anymore it poured from me at an alarming pace as I continued to writhe with excruciating pain. I took three deep breaths and forced myself to try to right myself, I placed my hands a shoulder width apart as I took deep breaths calming myself but I only failed as more pain shook me to my core. I took one last breaths before I pushed all my weight up on my arms, they groaned in protest by did as I asked; I let my knees fall to the floor and let myself sit for a few moments. The pain was centred at my right lung, as if someone has stabbed me right through it puncturing it. I bit my lip and used the cheaster drawers to pull myself into a standing position.

The room swayed like some great tilt board in a pinball machine as I tried to walk, my bare feet padded against the carpet as it grew harder and harder to breath. I could see, hear or feel anything but the pain. It was fire hot and had torn apart every one of my sense as it spread its trail of destruction. It occurred to me as I moved my way through the house towards front door that the lingering soothing sensations hidden beneath the cinders of pain were familiar. This was something I had experienced before, only not as intense, hadn't they warned me about this? That the closer I was to the source the more painful it would? Everything fell into place and one thing became horrifically clear. Someone was dying in Mystic Falls and it wasn't a peacefully.

They had to be close by as well due to the intensity of the pain, I tried to remember all the maps they made me study, the ones of the regions land layout, building positions and of course the map of the ley lines. My mind swirled with different pictures of maps until a spark of recognition at the position of the house, it showed the house and its grounds, and it also revealed that only one other building was near for a good few miles. The boarding house. Due to the fact the pain was so intense and pure I knew where the death had occurred and as I fumbled to open the front door- unsure of how I had exactly made my way down the stairs- I knew where I had to go. Time began irrelevant as I pushed further forward with my aching legs, the pain was lessening now to the extent I was able to focus my eyes and mind on the matter at hand. The cold nipped at my ankles as my mind drifted back to the temple.

"Anastasia, are you even listening to me?" Mark's sharp shout woke me from my day dream, I met his icy glare. He hated that I didn't take any of this seriously but I mean how could I when he spoke of death and the power it held.

"I just don't want to do any of this anymore." I hadn't realised I had said it until my back slammed against the tree on the opposite side of the garden.

I won't lie, it hurt but not so much that I would give them the satisfaction of crying. This wasn't the first time they had tossed me about like a rag doll in the hope it would teach me to be more respectful of their wishes and teachings. If anything all it did was make me resent them more. My eyes grew dark, darker than the thunderclouds that had rolled over the dome window above us; I looked at the figure stood next to Mark. I knew instantly it was one of the elders, only they wore those stupid long white cloaks, with their stupid little golden ropes around their waists. Whoever it was wore the hood of the world's most boring outfit up, this was no doubt to prevent me getting them back later on.

"We have spoke about this! You can't keep treating her like some toy! She is a person and all you are succeeding in is making her more and more disobedient when you treat her like some lab rat! I will deal with her my way." Mark hollered down at the cloaked figure, he was only a few inches taller but he still made a point of shouting down at them. I guess it was to seem more intimidating. The elder nodded once before proceeding inside.

I got up begrudgingly and walked back towards the teaching area and sat down. Mark was clearly mad as he paced about swearing and mumbling about 'disrespect' and 'teaching them some lessons'. A small smile filled my face as it occurred me he probably shouldn't be swearing in front of me as I was – how did they describe it again? I was already 'tainted by the modern world'. It's safe to say I was their greatest disappointment. My teeth chewed at my lip as I wondered if my parents had loved me, someone had to have loved me once. Right? I dragged my eyes back up to Mark who was stood watching me intently.

"Well continue on then." I requested, whatever this lesson was clearly they thought I needed it. Mark flustered about kind of like a chickens in the farm area of the temple before gathering himself enough to continue on.

"As I was saying, every time someone dies, no matter how good a life they led, as their soul passes through to the next plane there is burst of pure white power." he paused, I waved for him to say more for once he had my interest. "Now this power after being generated by the passing of a person's soul has nowhere to go and so it seeks out a vessel. A being blessed with white power."

"So that's me, right? I'm the vessel?" I asked my mind reeling with the possible implications of this whole concept.

"Yes and no. The elders see you as this almighty vessel but I disagree, you aren't here to gather up this power, they didn't send you back simply as a storage area. No." an awkward note hung in the air as Mark hesitated. "Can I share my honest opinion with you Anya?" his voice shook slightly and all I could do was nod, my mouth was drier than Gaudi's flip flop.

"I think they gave you back because something is coming and they need someone to fight and stop it. The power seeks you out because you need it to be strong enough to stop whatever it is that will oppose you. Do you really think it chance that you stumbled upon the temple's elders when you first woke back up? No, something led you here.

So when this burst of pure power is given out into the world and if its close enough to wherever you are to be able to seek you out, it does so because you will need it to be able to fight back. I think also that's why, as you will find out as time passes the power finding you isn't always a pleasant ecperiance, its one that depends on far too many factors. How close you are to the dying person, how they have died, where they good or bad, it all adds up to much pain the power had to exert on you before you can consume it." The whole time he had been speaking he had gotten more and more into rant; as a result his eyes had clouded over and were no longer glittering amber like the elders but onyx. I was sacred for myself and the implications of what Mark had said. On some level I knew this wasn't just his opinion but the truth, the truth that the elders had been ignoring.

"It's going to hurt when it happens, that's what you're saying. I have to been put through hell and back just to have a shot at fighting this supposed fight?" I spoke so quietly I didn't know if he would hear me as I drew further and further into myself. Mark reached across and rested a hand on my shoulder.

"Anya, I am not going to lie to you, you know that. Yes sometimes it will be painful but others you will just feeling overwhelmingly calm. The main factor that determines the pain is how the person died. Whatever is coming is only building up for now, so yes, push this impending fight to the back of your mind but never forgot that's why you are here. Never forget why. That's my opinion at least."

I sat in fear and I knew that I would and could never forget why they had gifted me back to the earth. The elders said that they used white power to bring me back from the spirit plane and it's a power the blessed me with, one that lingers in my blood and makes me as strong as any threat on earth, be it natural or supernatural. I knew that they had taken my memories of my old life because I didn't need them anymore, my mind had to be a clean slate in order for me to be taught everything I needed to know to be able to do this. Tears filled my eyes and as one solemn tear ran like a lonely river down my face, I swore I would learn everything the elders said graciously from here on in because (just as Mark had no doubt planned) the horror of the truth had shaken me into a new resolve. I would stop whatever was coming no matter what.


	4. Chapter 4: The Bat and the Cougar

The thick thorns of surrounding plants dug into my skin leaving deep crimson gouges as I stumbled through the thicket of the woods that lay between my home and the boarding house. The pain had lessened now, which was only the calm before the storm, as I pushed harder and harder with my legs, my feet covered in cuts and scraps as I had failed to remember shoes in my hast. I didn't know why I was running towards where the dying person lay, the past has only taught me that the final burst of power as they breath their last breath will only be more painful if I am closer, if anything I should be running further and further away but this death was so painful that it couldn't be an accident. This was a deliberate act and I intended on finding who had caused it. A warm yellow light burned my fragile tear filled eyes as I approached the boarding house.

I stood at the edge of the garden and felt like a cave dweller stumbling into the daylight for the first time, the woods had been a deep midnight black and I found it comforting to be able to conceal myself in the blackness. Now however, where they to look out a window the blood thirsty murders would see a deranged girl looking back at them but it was a risk I needed to take. My stomach churned as I knew I was risking a lot, the final burst of power would be excruciating and I wasn't quite sure I could take it especially if the person lay dying just across this garden in the warm comfort of the boarding house. Stay or run became my only thought.

Sadly I didn't get a choice, the person inhaled air for the last time and the power sought me out like a heat seeking missile and I crumpled to the ground like the pin being hit by a bowling ball. I set my lips in a tight line refusing to even let one small whimper out encase it gave my position away, again I found my back arching as my body tried to separate itself from the pain, my hand dug into the precision cut grass of the garden and tore chunks from it. My eyes flew open as the power ricocheted off my chest like a machine gun and its bullets, my body jumped helplessly before falling with a deafening thump to the ground. Deep breathing, a favourite pastime of mine this evening, helped me to calm down as the pain retreated and a gentle sense of strength filled me up from the tip of my toes to the top of my head. Leaves floated around me, hanging in the air as the power within me had lifted them up. Pebbles, rocks, twigs and sticks all drifted in the air above me.

After lying there for several moments I managed to drag myself back up onto my feet, I felt better than ever and as I stood up all the leaves, rocks and sticks that had been dancing gracefully in the air dropped to the ground once more, to rest where they belonged. In one swift movement I was stood next to a window, it was the quickest I had ever moved and I found myself just a little bit grateful for this evenings events. I could feel the strength that lingered in me now, the power that I held was amazing. Never before had I experienced a power boost like that. The yellow light cast an unwelcome glow against my pale skin as I edged closer to the window pane. I appeared to be looking into some kind of ridiculously sized living area, the walls covered with books, carefully carved wooden furniture filled the room and all listening gently to the roar of an open fire. I could even hear the cracking of the kindling as the power circulated around my ears, my eyes could detect the scratches left on the wooden floor. It was then my eyes flew up and seen the body of the deceased and my heart stopped.

Tears fell freely from my eyes as the body of Alaric Saltzman lay dead by the fire, the young man I had been introduced to as Stefan kneeled beside him. He almost looked grief stricken. A forceful wind slammed against my back as I scanned his body for whatever had killed him, I was right earlier a blow to the right lung and the discarded stake rolling on the floor made it very clear what had happened here. For some unknown reason Alaric had decided to attack the Salvatore Brothers, okay not so unknown. He was seeking revenge on most likely Damon for what he had done to his wife Isobel. I pressed my hand against the icy window pane and watched the heat from my body steam it up beneath my palm. The ring on Alaric should begin to kick in anytime now and he would awake, everything would hopefully be alright. But I couldn't quite grasp what I should do next. One of the brothers had killed my Uncle- yeah he was alright thanks to the ring I posted Isobel years ago- but they had still taken it upon them to make sure he wouldn't attempt it again.

Then again wouldn't I have reacted any differently had they come into my home to kill me, which they very well might if they ever discover what I am and who is after me; I knew that I would have killed them and not even blinked about it. There wouldn't have been any guilt over killing them, they were Vampires and though I would never be foolish enough to assume they were all out to kill me, it had just been proven in the past that they feared those that hunted me and would quicker turn against me rather than face death. As Alaric breathed back into life I slipped around the side of the house to wait for him. I ran my hands against the rough stone walls as I walked around the house, it took Alaric a good five or so minutes to explain to Stefan the whole ordeal and get his bearings before he finally emerged from inside the house. He set about walking in the general direction of his car.

"So that wasn't the smartest move now was it?" I laughed gently from where I stood, it was all slightly amusing now the worst was over.

"Anya? What are you doing here?" he demanded through gritted teeth as he squinted about looking for me.

"Well I was at home asleep, until you up'd and died causing me to be woken up in horrific pain. Honestly what did you think you would achieve by killing Damon Salvatore?" I growled back but at the same time kept a low voice encase either brother got close enough to hear.

"I don't know but look lets just get in the car and I will drop you home and we can discuss what happened there." I moved quickly into the passenger side of the car and as we drove back towards my house. Where he would no doubt catch me up on his erratic train of thought and his next move.

As the sunlight trickled gently though my open window, it immediately sought me out like a thief stealing me from my peaceful slumber. My eye flickered open to find myself alone still in this house built to horde people and their belongings, I felt a bit inadequate seen as I only really occupied one room, compared the many rooms on the other floors. I slowly got up after stretching out each muscle as I moved about, it was funny to think that after the horrifying pain of last night I could awake feeling so refreshed and revitalised. As the sun creped across my skin I noticed that I seemed to have yet again grown paler, the sunlight magnified the snowy complexion of my skin and almost made it glow. My eyes rolled in their signature motion as followed my morning routine as always in order to get ready, memories of late last night/early this morning still fresh in my mind.

After piling into Alaric's car, he drove in his usual meticulous manner back to my own house. Where he spent the next couple of hours walking me through the thought process that made walking into a 170 year old Vampire's home and attempting to kill him seemed like a good idea. After a thorough discussion on why when it comes to all supernatural related incidents in the future I should be consulted first and kept informed on everything, he caught me up on the ins and out of this sleepy little town, frankly it was quite a fascinating tale and the depth of what he knew of the Salvatores was amazing, their whole history he had researched. Alaric was even clued up on Katherine Pierce love of their lives and reason for what they are. Obviously he knew no intimate details, just that both brothers fell for her and she turned them out of love? But much more likely she turned them out of boredom. Vampires rarely knew how to love. The whole thing left me wanting to know more, so I guess that's why I decided to seek out Damon Salvatore today, there was something going on in this town and the biker bad boy knew more than he was letting on, clearly he was a central character in all of this. Knowing little about him, I would have to hope he would appear to me in the Mystic Grill. Where I would fail at flirting in the hope he would disclose some information to me. If all else fails I guess I can just use a little extra persuasion to help me along.

My phone buzzed and Mark's name sang gleefully on the screen, it was almost as if he had sensed I was up to mischief.

"Well hello there." I laughed down the phone. "Do you have me censored for plotting or something?"

"What? Anya you haven't done something stupid already have you?" He may have been laughing but he was serious all the same, I moved about picking up my discarded pyjamas that I had swapped for dark jeans and a plain blue t-shirt.

"No I haven't but thanks for the faith in me, I was planning on spending the day hanging out in the local bar getting a feel for the place, you know? And you happened to call as I was planning it, that was all." The lies flowed freely and without hesitation just like they had taught me. As much as I loved and missed Mark the last thing I needed was my overbearing father figure strolling into town and uprooting me, when I was I so sure that something interesting was simmering in the background. I moved though the house to the large modern kitchen as I continued speaking to Mark.

"Hm, anyway I was just calling to check you were alive and that you were aware, that despite me not being there, the elders are expecting you to go to a secluded place and practice using your eh talents." I groaned loudly, I hated having to practice it made me feel less human and like lab experiment. "I know, I know, you hate it but please. You need to be able to do these things if anything bad should happen whilst your there."

"Fine I will go out later and practise." I spoke though gritted teeth as I poured my favourite cereal into a bowl.

"Good, look I better go sweetheart, Sit rector lux in tenebris vos dulcis angeli." Mark rushed, he was eager to get off the phone meaning that the elders were on their way and he wasn't actually suppose to be on the phone to me.

"Sit lumen intrare." I answered; in fact I only got about half way through before my ears were assaulted by the sound of a dial tone. Well that was just a bit rude. I finished eating and cleared the house up before I drove the winding streets into town.

I entered the musty bar that was the Mystic Grill and low and behold his highness was preached right where I knew he would be. I paused for a moment and looked him over. There was no denying how beautiful he was, smoking hot, his black silken hair gleamed in the dingy bar light. His back was broad and muscular, but either way he was still a Vampire, which by default meant he would probably kill me if he knew what I was; out of fear for his superiors. The rest of them had at least. My eyes flicked up to the Cougar flirting with him to his right, long dark brown hair and a very pretty face but her clothes were years to young for her and her skin worn away slightly from years of promiscuity. Of course to a normal person this wasn't visible but me? I unfortunately got the joy of begin able to see every detail on a persons face, the scars they didn't even know they had. Enhanced vision was a bitch. I moved over to the bar and took a seat at the far end, perfectly in his eye line and it wasn't till I had sat down did I notice the petite frame of Jenna Sommers drinking casually next to the Cougar. Hm, she has an interesting choice in company seen as she wasn't Damon's biggest fan from what Alaric had told me. I smiled at the barman and signalled for a drink as I listened to the party opposite me.

"Don't be grumpy. It cant be that bad." Jenna laughed delicately as she taunted Damon's mood, I noticed the furrow between his brows and the lines around his eyes as he squinted menacingly. There was something with his eyes, a very light shade of pink glossed over them and flakes of dry blood hung on his eyelashes. Clearly today had been a rough day for Damon. He hadn't contracted this injuries last night, these were fresh. Most likely explaining his mood. His long eyelashes cast shadows down his face and for a brief moment insecurity flickered in those ice blue eyes and my heart ache to know more. I sighed deeply and looked away, this was the worst part of being _this_ I felt what others felt, I had the need, the physically need to care for others and nurture. I got no choice in it, I guess its like the maternal instinct that lies in every woman, except I possess it for the world. My mind swam as the memories blurred my vision.

My chest heaved up and down as I sprinted through the trees, my movements were far to fast for even the Autumn leaves to crunch under my feet. I paused eyes flicking about my surroundings, Mark had sent me out here hunting. I was to track down another person based purely on empathy. So i took deep breaths like her told me and let the power circulate around my body, to my eyes, my ears but most importantly to my heart and mind. It created a link between the two, one that very few people were able to do effectively on even the most basic level. I stood breathing and listening to the garden around me.

The scrapping claws of some great cat lurking in the dark echoed eerily within my head, the music of the garden soothed my ears, all the animal cries mixing together to create a sonnet for the gardens inmates. The wind teased my skin, ruffling my hair like a kindly old men as it breezed about the room, the sun casting delicate shadows across my skin. The scent of the wild burned my nose, free of the perfumed gasoline of the modern world. Faintly about three, maybe four, hundred yards away there was a flicking blue light glittering in my mind.

I followed the light and let my feet carry me gracefully to where the light grew stronger and stronger, my eyes still clamped shut. The closer I got the more I yearned to help whoever it was I had discovered was incredibly sad but there was something else there. Though yes they were sad the light was bright and playful, full of innocence. My heart hurt for whoever I was about to discover as they were far too good for this place, the temple of lies and sordid secrets. I know this place is suppose to be good and pure, it was built to help protect others like me but as technology grew and faith drifted away, this place grew darker and darker. It was far too paranoid about what was coming and the access to modern medicine had only opened them to means of torture. Taking in the supernatural freaks they found in the streets and putting them through tests so they could gain knowledge all to help me. The intentions of their tests may have been good but they were still inhuman and cruel. I should know. I was their favourite pin cushion, despite having been waiting for my creation their faith had faltered over the years and when I appeared to them, I was believed to be a lie.

I left my eyes drift open as the pain of the light peaked, I found myself gazing across the prettiest child I had ever seen. I had been hunting, no searching for this child; she sat in a pile of leaves playing with her lilac dress that flowed all around her. Her blonde curls fell perfectly all around her shoulders and sweet face. Her skin as beautiful as the first snowflake of winter. I crouched in front of the child and took her fidgeting hands in mine. She didn't fear me, she looked back at me with big emerald eyes and gave me the sweetest smile. I could feel it floating all around her, the admiration and fascination that I had created. I laughed gently and she copied me.

"I thought the man was joking when he said you would come find me." Her voice rang clearly in the air as I settled down on the gardens dead soldiers of the autumn war.

"Why didn't you believe I would come find? Why are you here?" I asked as I watched entranced by this strange child.

"Well, Mummy said it was my job but I still don't get why she wouldn't do it, she said I had to play in the garden and the man said that a pretty lady would come get me when I could come back inside. But I have been here so long; I thought maybe they had forgotten me." Her voice was still light but also sad at the same time. She was the first child I had seen close up since the fire. They were kept away from me in the opposite side of the temple; they were too wild to be near me. It wasn't uncommon for children to be brought up here or to be used in the elder's demented games but it was strange for them to be here in the garden, let alone near me.

"Why were you so sad then?" She reached forward and placed a silver bracelet in my hands, it had snapped clean near the clasp.

"My bracelet broke and it's not really mine, its one of Mummy's. She will be so mad when she sees it." I laughed at the girl; her sadness was for her impending telling off and her mother's feelings.

"Well I don't know about you but I know just the way to fix this. You just have to have a little faith and belief that's all." I laughed loudly and her eyes widened at me as I teased her. The fact was I could fix this easily with a small burst of power but she needn't know that.

"Can you do it, please?" emeralds glittered in front of me, she glowed a bright brilliant white as she grew excited and I had to laugh again. The child's happiness infectious. I nodded and she shuffled happily before me. I took the bracelet and clasped it tightly between my own hands.

"Now I need you to close your eyes and believe with everything you have that its fixed and I can make it so but if you don't believe hard enough I cant do anything, its just how it works sadly." I beamed at the girl as she nodded, curls bobbing up and down. She closed her eyes and began muttering please under her breath, I let the power drift over the bracelet in my hand. It began to float in the air in a white orb as the power took over doing the rest.

I reached forward and plucked the bracelet from the air as it was done, not letting for a moment the girl to stop her wishing. I took her hand and her eyes opened at record pace as I placed the bracelet back in her hand. It had gone from worn down silver with a broken chain, to one that shone in the sunlight and had no kinks or breakages anywhere to be seen. She reached forward and threw her arms around me, my cheek. A tear rolled down my face as the child clutched to me saying 'thank you' over and over again. It was the first time anyone had hugged me.

"You'd be surprised. My primary reason for existence has abandoned me and after today's events, the remains of the shaky ground that I walk on are about to go kaboom. Let's get hammered." Damon's voice snapped me back into reality, only to catch him watching me intently.

"Anya," he said softly before raising his glass and downing the lot, I mimicked his action and before I could signal the barman placed another one down before me. Looks like the man was learning. That was the best thing about my method of compulsion, though it could only be broken by me, it allowed them to adapt it to everyday life and change it slightly. It wasn't an immovable action like that of the Vampires compulsion, it was play dough. They could mould it into what they wanted, needed or desired. No doubt in his mind he had constructed some kind of back story as to why we had this little routine down to a knack.

"You know I am beginning to believe you live here Mr Salvatore, I have lived her only a few days and yet this is where I find you every time we cross paths." I smiled warmly at him earning a glare from the Cougar as she detected the playful banter that existed between us so easily. Jenna however just watched, unaware of who I was and my relation to her crush. He chuckled darkly never breaking our eye contact, maybe getting information from him and bringing him onto my side would be easier than I thought.

"I could say the same about you Miss Anya, "he winked at me over his scotch glass.

"Touché." I giggled in reply.

"Now, it's a bit naughty for the new girl to be drinking alone oh so as frequently as you are. So join us, I won't bite unless you want me too." He raised his eyebrow at me cheekily, ah so we are back to the terrible Vampire puns were we.

"Why not, and that is a request I won't be making, I am sure your bites worse than your bark." I winked back before he began introducing me to his female companions. It was going to be a long afternoon.


	5. Chapter 5: I am Feeling a Little Stabby

**A/N: Okay sorry for the massive delay but I have in hospital the past two weeks with appendicitis and was away from my laptop so I couldn't update. I made this chapter longer to make up for it. Read and Review thanks **

It had to be well into late afternoon by now and it had been some of the best fun I'd had in years, Jenna (who I was quite well acquainted with at this stage) was ridiculously drunk, the Cougar who I now knew to be Kelly Donovan was drunk and hitting on Damon. Even now after far too many drinks, Damon and I were only a tipsy at most, being supernatural did have its perks. Stefan was playing pool with an attractive blonde male, the Barbie I had seen yesterday at the auction and of course the elusive Elena Gilbert. I smiled warmly at Stefan and waved earning me a very gentlemanly nod. Despite the lack of a formal introduction it was clear we had both been made aware of whom the other was. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Kelly grazing her breast off Damon's arm and giggled like a school girl, I snorted scotch through my nose as I laughed hysterically at her efforts.

"Aw man you got that all over my arm!" Jenna whined from my right and all I could do was laugh more, my muscles convulsed as humour literally shook my body, I slammed my hand off the bar and soon felt another scotch glass nudging away at it; the barman having seen the whole ordeal and sliding me a new glass. I wheezed a pathetic thank you, as I continued to cackle loudly at the Cougar stalking her prey, at the irony of the act. The mouse was trying to seduce the hawk. Jenna turned to slap me in the arm but stop dead in her tracks as her eyes locked with someone behind us; they went wide like a rabbit staring down the business end of a hunter's gun. She flew round and hunched herself close to Kelly and slightly over the bar in her drunken stupor.

"Hide. We're not here." She attempted to whispered but failed as she very slightly slurred at the end, the alcohol adding a slight lilt to her voice. The Cougar snapped from her flirting mimicked Jenna in her hunching over the bar. I watched growing curiouser and curiouser at the situation, what could they have possibly seen to cause this behaviour. I glanced up and caught Damon staring but not at the women like I was but at me, watching me so intently I felt a blush creep up to my face. Mouthing the words "it's rude to stare" at him as I held his gaze, I wouldn't dare look away first. It would only mean he had won if I did. His mouth twitched into a smile and he shook his head with a laugh, his glossy black hair flicking into his diamond blue eyes.

"Why? Where'd we go?" the Cougar answered Jenna as they continued to banter.

It turned out that the blonde jock was Kelly's son and Jenna was concerned about the fact their kids were sat not far from here, watching them drink. Everyone in the group bar myself had a child in their care within range, Kelly had her son, that I now knew to be called Matt, Jenna had Elena and Damon had his little brother Stefan.

"Looks like I am the only responsibility free one here." I smirked raising my glass and downing it in one swift movement before standing. "Perhaps, I should go say hello to your charming wards-" Kelly look appalled and Jenna began to laugh along with my joking. "After all, didn't you say they were all about eighteen? Jenna?" I moved past the group and sauntered over to where they had gathered around the pool table. Kelly whispered furiously to Jenna about my lack of decency and how old was I anyway? Too old is how she described me for her son. Funny I thought, I would have said the same thing about Damon and her.

Both Salvatore brothers watched my approach along with Prep School Barbie, who judging by the violent colour that invaded my head, was misjudging my approach as an act of flirtation and not friendliness. Stefan laughed and pulled Elena in closer, kissing her cheek as I reached the table.

"Stefan, I believe." I smiled rather cheesily. "Let me introduce myself, I am your new neighbour Anya." I extended my hand and he took it, just like I needed him too. His memories shot into my head and I grew dizzy. My composure lost I found myself staring at Elena with a strange sense of recognition, I knew that face but I hadn't met her in this life until now and I certainly hadn't known her in my previous one. Maybe Mark was right, I was older than I seemed but that couldn't be right, she wasn't a Vampire, she was one hundred percent human. I could feel it. Why did I know her face? I couldn't tear my gaze away from her face, something was off and I probed her mind with the smallest amount of power and great warmth washed over me. She was so sweet and kind, she reminded me of fresh cookies. But that just didn't fit with the faint memory I had, one of deep purples and navy's that I linked with that face, one of fear and hatred. I shook my head, the feeling of déjà vu escaping me for the time being. I smiled back up at Stefan as he glared with fear and apprehension at me.

"Sorry I got lost in a train of thought there, the alcohol goes straight to my head. It's a pleasure to meet you honestly, though I do hope your manners are much better than your jack ass brother's." This eased the tension as I had hoped and the group laughed, the boy Matt stepped forward.

"Hi, I'm Matt and you have already met my mother Kelly it seems." He ran his hand through his ash blonde hair awkwardly; the pain was on his face and the disappointment too. I ran my hand up and down his shoulder removing it quickly after absorbing what I could of the current pain, for the time being, it was the best I could do to help him.

"She has been charming and talked you up quite a bit-"I diverted my eyes behind him to Barbie. "I take it this is the girlfriend she told me about."

"She spoke about Caroline? Wow" he trailed off in his own thoughts as Barbie's eyes widened, though the truth was Kelly hadn't exactly been nice about Caroline, some very unkind words were used in her direction- though I wasn't exactly her biggest fan based on the vibe she gave off, I was sure she didn't deserve the derogatory names she received from Kelly. There was no need for Matt to know the truth, so I smiled and passed it off as if she had been as sweet as sugar.

"Pleasure to meet you Caroline." I nodded at her and it seemed to ease her jealous thoughts but my guess was they weren't just aimed at me. Her eyes remained focused on Elena at all times, much like they had been all evening each time I glanced over to them.

I turned back to Stefan and caught the eye of Damon, still watching me as he seemed to do a lot lately. Yes, getting him to talk would be easy; the power of curiosity was already ensuring he would. Well didn't they say curiosity killed the cat? Or bat in this case at least.

"If you don't mind me asking, what brought you here to Mystic Falls?" Elena's voice floated up through the bar and brought back my attention. "I'm Elena by the way" she blushed realizing her rudeness at a lack of introduction, I gave her a gentle wave and returned her smile. This girl definitely wasn't the one I remembered, if it was even her at all.

"Its no problem at all, it all comes down to my dad I guess." As my head swayed from side to side my brown hair fell into my face and I moved my hand up to run through my hair as I thought of how I would tell my over practiced lie this time. "He moved me up to an old property of his, near the boarding house, because of his job he moves around a lot and he wanted somewhere quiet for me to live for a while. Apparently this is the place to do that." I waved it off like nothing special and I hoped it was good enough, I watched Stefan stiffen unable to relax and Damon shook his head. My vagueness wasn't appealing to Salvatore boys.

"What's your Father's job?" Caroline peeked up and I could just tell she was the type you needed to know everything about everyone. The prefect preppy blonde, the popular girl at school that the guys wanted and the sillier girls wanted to be; where as this was once Elena too, Caroline maintained the image.

"You know I don't really know," I laughed and forced blood to my cheeks faking a blush, no-one can ever accuse of me of not being a dedicated actress. "Something with law for some big company, so they jet him all over the shot for it. I used to go with him but he wants me to "settle down and have a normal life" for a little while at least." I air quoted the whole settle down bit and sent them the vibe I wasn't for it, when in fact I yearned for nothing more. I wanted to be normal like I used to be, to be a real human was the dream and not this fake human. Unfortunately my life was a supernatural disaster and it would seem the land of fairytales had chewed up my humanity and spit it back out.

I stayed with the group for a while laughing and joking, it felt good to be a teenager and I realised how much I missed my humanity. I just wanted to be normal and like everyone else, I tried so hard to remember it but I couldn't the memories were gray and hazy. I watched as Matt and Stefan joked around, the girls having fled to the toilet. Stefan made it look so easy to clutch to humanity but as much as I tried day in and day out I couldn't do it. How can I possible let myself be human when I can feel peoples emotions, when at a touch if I wish I can steal their memories, I may not get clear pictures of their past but I get their thoughts. For instance earlier I learnt that Stefan and Damon were turned in 1864 and all in the name of the love of a girl named Katherine. My only real introduction to the guy and I already knew more than his friends? How could I ever feel human with this kind of power? Sometimes I wondered what would happen if I just let go, let the power take over instead of keeping it in check. If for one moment since I opened my eyes and began this new life, this second life, if I let go and wasn't so uptight what would happen? My wallowing had left me wide open to attack and that's why when a Vampire male gripped Elena's arm across the room, I couldn't hear what he said but the violent thoughts and emotions that assaulted my mind, the strong emotion that overtook me was too much. I needed to release it before I killed someone. I balled my hands into fists, my knuckles went white, as I took deep breaths in vain to clear the hazy red that glowed around me. Damm Vampires and their heightened feelings.

A hand touched my shoulder, it was too cold and a warning growl slipped from my teeth. The hand jumped back and I moved off. The mystery Vampire had moved away from Elena and was hovering. I walked in his direction just as he sped out of the door and at human pace I followed him out. I didn't need to try and follow him, locating him was easy his tension and curiously was like a neon light glowing in my mind and soon I found myself right behind him and his little girlfriend. I reached forward and gripped his shoulder hard; I spun and slammed him into the nearest wall. A sense of pride and accomplishment over took me as I pinned him against it, he tried to struggle free of my titan grip but I was much stronger than he was. I hadn't had even a morsel of a plan, I just wanted to beat the hell out of something till I felt like me and this guy seemed like an even match instead of some poor unsuspecting human bystander. A wicked grin filled my features and my mind grew dark as his most recent memories floated into my own mind, this little Vampire was thirsty for some fresh blood. His name was Fredrick and he had recently been freed from a tome beneath the church. His girlfriend, who was clearly the brains of the two, could see the anger rolling off me in waves and my clear strength, so like a clever little girl she didn't try and pry me off her friend.

God he stank as his blood tinged breath fanned over my face, dark eyes watched me carefully waiting for me too speak. He was scared and I was so glad that I worried myself, I could see what I looked like in his mind and nothing gave me more pleasure than appearing as a demon to him. My sapphire blue eyes were dark, such a deep blue they looked almost black. The hair I had roughly pulled back was wildly falling about my shoulders and the sick little man's mind screamed perverse thoughts. To him I looked wild and beautiful, such a perfect Vampire was his thoughts. I smelled good too and he was curious as too what I had been drinking to smell like this. I moved one hand to the centre of his chest pinning him was ease as my right hand leapt back and then sprung into his face causing a delightful snap as his nose cracked in several places. He growled and struggled again beneath my grip like a caged beast. Using my free hand I gripped his chin and forced him too look at me as I finally developed a plan of action.

"Let's get one thing clear here, _Fredrick" _I rolled his name off my tongue with a smug smirk. "The people of this town are mine, I guess you could say this is my territory and if you are feeling like a little midnight snack. I suggest you look elsewhere." The words fell from my lips dripping in venom as I help his eye contact unflinching. Well if you can't beat them, join them. He thought I was a Vampire; why not let him think it was true, I mean he clearly wasn't cleaver enough to recognise I wasn't.

"How do you know my name?" He wheezed out as I put pressure on his lungs, causing it to become difficult for him to breath.

"Kiddo, I know a hell of a lot more than you think." I paused as the name Salvatore flashed in his mind, there was history there and the brothers had wronged him in some way. But that wasn't just it, he was about to ask me why they got to hang about in my town and briefly like the flame of a candle flicking in the wind he wanted to ask me about Katherine but like the candle the thought disappeared as it was blown out. It would seem there was even more information I needed to draw from Damon and Stefan than I first thought. "And as for the Salvatores, we have a standing agreement, they don't kill in my town and I let them live. Now I suggest you and your little girlfriend, get the fuck out of my town because frankly I am feeling a little stabby and it would be such a shame if I ended up driving a stake so deep into your chest and turning you both to dust, as these are my favourite jeans and I'd hate to ruin them with your vile blood. Do you understand me?"

My speech was clear and played into his own thoughts of me being a Vampire, big bad boss Vampire of Mystic Falls, hey who doesn't like to seem tougher than they looked but I still felt insecure about the impact I would have on him. So I tilted his chin back forcing him too look into my eyes, my pupils contacted and I felt so gleeful when his mimicked the motion. Fredrick had fallen under my compulsion.

"Do you understand me?" I repeated through gritted teeth.

"I understand." His voice was dead and monotone indicating that I was successful, as always, and he would do as he was told. He wouldn't leave town forever, I wasn't that cruel but he would leave it for tonight and he was forbidden to set foot in the town with the intention to feed. Mystic Falls was safe from one jackass that I could be sure of. I pushed off the wall and stepped aside, my hand waved in the air indicating he was free to leave. He stepped away from the wall as he fixed his leather jacket, I glanced up at his girlfriend and in the brief moment we locked gaze I compelled her to do the same as her boyfriend.

"Come on, Beth Anne, it would appear we are intruding." He gave me a sly smile before turning to walk away, I followed their retreat with my eyes up until the point they ran off into a blur.

I leaned against the wall and let my inner demon retreat back into its shell, I hadn't quite let go like I wanted to earlier, far from it. I was pretty well controlled actually, just angry as hell. The violence lurking in Fredrick's thoughts and emotions awoke my own causing this whole scene to play out as it did. I let my power slip out and circulate around my body cleansing away the anger, I felt like the Hulk, no-body liked me when I was angry. I chuckled darkly and the sound of the Mystic Grill door opening drew my attention. Stefan, Elena and their companions were leaving for the night, I drew back into the shadows as Stefan glanced up and down the street before shrugging. He walked back and placed his arm around Elena as they headed towards the car.

Once they were out of sight I moved off the wall and walked back towards the Grill's entrance. The cool night air felt good against my skin as I walked in a gentle day dream, I wonder what Mark would have thought about me going all bad ass on Fredrick back there? He was the one who had taught to be able to act like that, how to be vindictive and cruel. It wasn't in my nature to act out in violence against others and for a long time back in the Temple, I wouldn't. it got to the point where I was beaten daily until I learned to act out in violence. I wasn't any use to the Elders as a innocent, they needed me to be the best parts of humanity and that entailed me being able to stand on my own to feet. My fingers began to trace the scar on my right wrist, a silvery purple bite mark shone out in the light, the crescent shape scar was a reminder of the day I finally fought back and lost it. Nobody makes me bleed my own blood and as the razor shape teeth tore at my skin I lost it. The devastation of that moment was horrifying but at the same time as I emerged blood stained to stand in front of the Elders, they couldn't have been prouder. There had been so much blood.

The heat of the Grill wasn't quite as welcoming as the chill of the night but it snapped me from my darker thoughts, just as I seen Kelly and Damon get up to leave. I looked up at them puzzled.

"Where is Jenna?" I asked Damon as Kelly glared in disappointment, I held back a snort as it was clear I was cock blocking her right now.

"She went home, you just walked past her." Damon stated confused. I shrugged my shoulders and headed towards the bar, I needed a drink.

But never made it past Damon, his hand caught my wrist and I found myself watching him with my eyebrow quirked upwards silently questioning his action. Ice watched me carefully assessing me carefully, as if looking for injury. I pulled my arm back and stuffed my hands in my jean pocket.

"Come with us." It wasn't a request, it was a command and judging my Kelly the Cougar's glare she wasn't happy with this idea, I shook my head as I ran my hands through my hair.

"No thanks, I am going to grab my jacket wherever I left it and down some scotch then roll home." I gave him a weak smiled and he extended his hand out revealing my leather jacket, I took it from him with a muttered thank you and put it on straight away. I breathed in the scent of the jacket and sighed completely content. This jacket and I had been though a lot, it felt like home.

"At least let me get you home, _neighbour." _ I couldn't mask my groan as I followed them out the bar.

Well that was the most tense and awkward taxi journey of my life, I jumped out of it at inhuman sped, paid the man the full fare quickly before starting down the track to my own house. The jokes from Damon about leaving money behind were ignored as I fled. The dried leaves and twigs crunched under my hasty feet as I marched home. The stars were dancing up an inferno above me and I envied them, they looked to free and wished I could glide about up there with them even if it was only for a moment. I stopped and stared for a moment before embracing the memory as it became emerging in the back of my mind.

My laugh filled the whole room bouncing off everything in sight. The bight white stars above me grew more and more luminous as I laughed, actually everything in the room seemed to respond to my life. The few flowers still in full bloom became more vivid, animals crept nearer and nearer. I beamed up at Mark to see he was chuckling along with me, my laugh was infectious. I loved this world, this new life.

"So wait you are telling me that humans study the stars?" the whole concept baffled me, not quite as much as their worshiping their gods or their obsession with the lives of others, I think they called them celebrities. How could stars have answers? They were so far away how could they determine what happened in their day to day routine? If they were true did that mean all those born under that sign had the same basic life pattern, determined by the stars? Funny little things were humans.

My hands drifted down to play with the white ribbon trim of my night gown, the Elders as I now knew them, had gifted me this upon my arrival. I had been here physically for two months but I had only been awake for a few weeks. I was glad the floaty stage was over now and I could walk, run and jump with my own two feet. The only downside to being awake was I couldn't remember all the things I had learnt during my floaty stage. The powers that they told me I had I couldn't use, I knew nothing of this world I lived in. the basics seemed to be hotwired into my brain, how to walk, eat, sleep and I was glad that I finally cared for decency again. Mark, my teacher, told me during my first month here I was very free with exposing myself because I didn't understand anything of this world, I was still wrapped up in where I was last. I was glad I was more human now than I was before but I missed my memories of the last few months but more importantly the memories of the last nineteen years. I had lived nineteen years before I was reawakened, I lifetime of memories gone. I didn't even know my own favourite colour, who had fathered me, I didn't know anything of the mother who had carried me. I knew nothing of me.

Was I funny? Was I smart? What were my annoying habits? The list of questions went on and on, they were never-ending. Mark says I have been given a gift and that my true character shall reveal itself over time, I had already proven that with my persistent stubborn nature. Mark picked up a dried leaf and twirled it in his hands.

"Mark?" I asked staring at the stars. "Do you think one day I will remember how to fly?" his laughter was my only response as I lay back into the flourishing emerald grass.

"I am certain that one day, you will defy all expectations and fly again. Though the elders say no I am sure you will find a way to do it, even if it's just to annoy them. Now back to the stars, there are twelve star-."

As I lay back into the flourishing emerald grass, Mark continued to explain how humans studied stars and what it meant. I spread my arms through the grass and it tickled my skin were it brushed against me as soft as silk. My mind drifted to what it meant to be a-

I was jolted out of my musing as a tree branch was violently snapped half a mile away from me, my eyes shot off in the direction of the sound as I edged further behind the giant oak tree on my left. The darkness of the night engulfed me as I hide away watching me. I wasn't far from the Salvatore boarding house and I was curious as too who exactly was approaching the house from this angle. I moved through the trees in the direction of light footsteps, stalking the sound in search of its source. The short brown hair of the man from earlier came into view, Fredrick and Beth Anne were stood near the boarding house. I clambered my way silently into the tree I was concealed behind and watched them for now.

"Once I have barged in Beth Anne it was cause a distraction, as I deal with Damon I want you to try and stake Stefan. It was their fault we ended up in that tomb and they are going to pay. I waited over a hundred years to get them back for what they did to me and tonight's the night. That girl said we couldn't kill in town but this is out of it, so I cant see that causing a problem."

"But Fredrick, what if something goes wrong?" Beth Anne was nervous and so she should be, attacking too well fed vampires wasn't a good idea.

"We are older and-"

I slide down from my perch and decided I would give the Salvatores a heads up. In a flash I was stood at their front door, I hoped I hadn't alerted Fredrick as to my eavesdropping, I tried to be as silent as possible and seen as he was nowhere near me yet, I was pretty certain I had succeeded. There were still a few minutes before he attacked, I reached forward and after opening the door I raced inside. The brothers were in the living room locked in some kind of debate, the clicking of glass indicated they were drinking. I moved through the house guided by their voices and their shuffling feet. Their house was beautiful, very wooden which was ironic considering their weakness, each furnishing was spotless and well cared for. The house was covered in a deep red décor, black and brown intermingling with the red. It looked very dark and surprisingly warm, it was very homely considering its occupants.

Soon enough I came across a great living room filled with bookshelves all around, a great roaring fire and it was the room that Damon had staked Alaric. I leaned against the door frame and cleared my throat, they turned immediately to look at me.

"Look who it is Stefan." Damon laughed as he nudged Stefan, "our charming new neighbour, to what do we owe the pleasure miss Anya?" he rolled my name about his tongue as if he was tasting it to see if he liked it. I rolled my eyes at Damon and his scotch glass, did he do nothing but drink?

All I gave them was a smile, I was too late to warn them as my heightened eyesight spotted Fredrick racing towards us in the distance, so instead I gave a simple indication and waited to help when this fight broke out.

"I would step back from that if I were you."

Stefan had moved closer to the window as he took a baffled step towards me, he sensed the strangeness that surrounded me and moved away from the window. Then right on cue Fredrick came hurling through the window and attacked Damon. Stefan looked at me shocked but had no time to recover as Beth Anne was quick through the window and they began to fight. I left it to play out for a few seconds but I couldn't help but get involved, it was why I was here after all. In one swift movement I had grabbed Fredrick by the back of his shirt and flung him backwards towards the bookcases on the opposite walls. He however didn't get the pleasure of slamming against them as Damon caught him and slammed him against the floor. Damon now had the upper hand so I moved to help Stefan, Beth Anne had him, well mounted on the floor was the only way to describe it as they struggled to gain the upper hand. I gripped her back and launched her away from Stefan, I offered him my hand and helped him up. He muttered thanks as I pulled him into a standing position, he really was the sweeter of the two brothers.

A chair lay broken not far away from where I stood; grabbing a broken chair leg from the pile I knew what I had to do. I had to stake her because if anyone else did it I would be out of commission and unable to assist. When someone died at my own hands the power went straight from them into me, there was no drawn out process, the pain was still excruciating but it was quicker than had Stefan done it. So I shoved the stake into Beth Anne as she jumped onto her feet, we screamed in unison and everyone turned to look towards us. She was silenced quickly enough as she body turned grey but I continued to howl, my vision escaped me. Fire raged war within me, whoever said Vampire didn't have souls were wrong, my body began to jerk as my muscles became to spasm at the force of power that slammed into me. Tears raced down my face creating a flood as they dripped down onto my chest. I could see anything, taste, think or feel anything but pain. I couldn't breathe from the pressure tightening on my lungs as the power emptied into me. Time seemed to slow to a stand still it had been a total of 30 seconds since I had staked Beth Anne but my god it felt like much longer. The room shook with the force of my scream literally and I was unable to support my own body weight along with hers. I fell backwards onto the wooden floor, through my blurry vision I could see books drifting in the air but they quickly clattered to the floor as my mind went blank and my head collided with the floor.


	6. Chapter 6: Let's Have Some Fun

"Miss Anya?" I turned round from my perch looking out of the cottage window, the rolling hills with grass that wasn't quite green and slightly yellow, trees surrounded the area and soon enough their leaves would begin to fall where they would die on the forest floor birthing new life for other plants. The circle of life, if only everything was as simple as the life of a plant. England was beautiful. I was glad that this was where they had chosen for me to help this time round; I had always held this secret infatuation with the English countryside. I smiled broadly at up at a small robust woman, this was her cottage that I had taken up residence in for the time being. A relatively young woman in appearance but older in age, Rose had invited me to stay here. After all with me here I enabled her to venture outside into the sunshine just like she used too when she was human, I was glad to help ease her pain and constant longing to once again be human. I couldn't reverse the change that had taken place but I could make it easier to feel human. I just wished that I knew the magic needed to enable her to be out in the sun all of time but sadly I was no witch.

"Yes?" My voice was as light as the sun and why not? Today was a good day. though the plans of the Others were yet to be set in motion and I still had a hell of a fight in front of me, I was getting those few steps closer to having the upper hand and without revealing who and what I was.

"Trevor has sent news that Miss Petrova has agreed to remain in residence at Norland Park with the Master. He also sends news that Rose shall be returning this evening and has indicated she wishes you would be so kind as to take her for a morning walk as you did on Monday." As she relayed the message I return to watching life process out of the window, Katrina was had accepted their invitation as I had anticipated and it was only a matter of time now before they set about their plans.

"Thank you and I wonder if you would be so kind as to do something for me. It's really nothing to great at all but it would give me the greatest pleasure to see you take a break yourself and rest. After all Miss Rose would be greatly disappointed in me if she returns and sees I have ran you ragged."

The small aging woman complied willing and I listened as she moved through the cottage to sit by the fire and take up her knitting. I leant my head against the stony window ledge and looked up to the dazzling blue sky, it was perfectly clear, not a cloud in sight but somehow I knew this was merely the calm before the storm. My eyes drifted shut as I compacted down my fears, yes, this was going to be one hell of a battle if I didn't play a clever game.

Groggily I opened my eyes and put a hand up to steady my aching head, I had what felt like the world's worst hangover. I shook off what had to be the strangest dream I had ever had, I didn't know I knew so much about 18th century England but even as I passed the dream off as a figment of my imagination I knew I was only entering into denial. I threw off the scratchy woolen blanket that had covered me. Sitting up my hand fell into my head as I tried to make sense of my surroundings, I was far too tired to be playing detective, I let time drift by as I listened to the sounds of well wherever I was. I could hear someone rummaging about in the kitchen, glasses were clinking as they gleefully moved about. I took a deep breath trying to reign in the feeling that I was about to take a trip down chunder valley as I pushed my power out to sense their aurora. It usually takes a little more effort when I feel this bad but it moved almost subconsciously to detect a clouded grey aurora and as I touched it, it was as if it recoiled and I could no longer see it. That was when I recognized how I was feeling, this was no hangover and judging by the familiar sound of a storm raging outside the building I was in currently I knew exactly what had happened previously.

The events of last night came back to me and sure enough when I reopened my eyes I was confronted with the interior of the Salvatore boarding house, as my head fell back into the safety of my hands I groaned because I couldn't help the feeling of regret taking over. A light brush of wind tugged at my clothes, I let my head fall from my hands, hands running through my matted hair before looking up at the jean clad legs of Damon Salvatore.

"Hello." I croaked out, it was the only sensible thing I could think to say, now was the time he was going to make me spill my guts out and I doubted he would be as easy to trick as Fredrick had been. If things got out of hand I could always compel him to believe me but judging by his ability to retract his aurora from my touch I doubted I would be completely successful. After all white light and dark light didn't quite mix.

"Here" He held out a glass of water towards me as he sipped on his own glass of what I safely presumed was blood, at least he wasn't drinking from me.

I muttered thanks as I took it and downed the glass before placing it on the hardwood floor at my feet. He was unusually cocky and quiet but then I had just met the guy how was I supposed to know what he was like all the time. Well I guess now is a good a time as any to rid myself of this headache and sick feeling, now that I had water in my system this would be easy. One deep breath in and one circulation of power and I felt great. It was a bitch of a fact that came with me killing, though usually if I was able to stand the jump of power as I took the life of another last night was especially difficult because Beth Anne, had a surprisingly clean soul for a Vampire. That and I had already used some of my power that day. This wasn't the first time I had passed out but I think my fall to the floor, the violent emotions of my companions caused the induced pain and fainting spell. Also Beth Anne was heavy as hell.

If there was a next time I had to be careful, I couldn't risk constantly passing out. My eyes drifted across to the window, rain drops ran down it as the storm continued outside. Another side effect of my being out cold. Water has always been related with healing properties because of its purity, so whenever I find myself injured my body triggers the rain and being out cold on the hard floor last night had clearly taken effect as my mind sought to heal me from injury.

"Now seen as I was so kind as to let you live last night, let alone sleep on my couch, I think you owe me an explanation." Ah his sarcastic tone had returned. Sighing as I moved my gaze back to look up at him, I leaned against the back of the couch.

"What do you want to know?"

"What are you? Would be a great start because you aren't a vampire." He stated it with such confidence I began to laugh, I had to admit it I found myself liking Damon Salvatore but it was this that would make me feel guilty later when I lied to him.

"No, you aren't as stupid as you look." I joked and hoped that my slight aversion to his question wouldn't cause him to lose his temper.

"Why thank you but you are avoiding my question." He raised his eyebrows playfully as he dragged a footstool across and placed it in front of me where he sat down and slouched forward comfortably as if he and I were sharing some great secret between old friends. I smiled at his action and found myself leaning forward too.

"What do you know of Witches Damon?" my voice dropped down to a whisper as I watched for his reaction, would he be able to accept my lie? A witch was a sensible lie, it would explain my knowledge of Vampires and very few witches have been known to be able to use magic to influence others and moving things with your mind is a common parlor trick with the inexperienced witch. It's the first thing they learn in witching 101. So I watched and waited for a reply, to see if my lie would stick and I wouldn't have to compel him to do as he was told. He quirked his eyebrow at me, clearly confused by something.

"Now if, if you are telling me the truth. You would know your kind and mine never help one another out. So why would you come here last night and almost get yourself killed." He really was smarter than he looked, I beamed up at him and as I spoke I reached forward to pat his cheek.

"Because I am special." I settled back into the couch as I laughed, I never did get to hear what he thought on my reply as Stefan came waltzing in the door straight to the living room and judging by the easy grin on his lips and the sparkle in his emerald eyes he had just been with Elena.

"Ah Anya you are awake." He smiled even wider this time. "Damon I hope you have been playing nice with our guest." He rolled his eyes as he moved about the room looking for something. He kicked off his shoes and grabbed a dirty more exercise friendly pair by the look of things.

"Baby Brother when don't I play nice?" Damon smugly smiled up at his brother. "Hunting party?" he inquired as Stefan slipped on his leather jacket.

"That guy did a number on me last night when he stabbed me. I've got to get my strength back up. How are you feeling Anya?" Stefan turned he gaze back to mine and I gave him a small half smile.

"I am alright thanks, just waiting for Damon to stop _draining the life out of me _with all his questions." Damon glared at me as Stefan gave an uneasy laugh, Damon coughed turning the attention back to himself, clearly not enjoying being ridiculed.

"I have two liters of soccer mom in the fridge….no?" he teased Stefan and I felt sorry for his little brother. Stefan had taken the much nobler route with his diet and I admired him for it. He was the first vegetarian vampire I had come across; he fought what he was in order to grip to his humanity.

"We'll talk when I get back." Stefan smiled briefly at me before heading toward the door, ignoring his brothers taunting.

"Alright…..Give my regards to the squirrels."

I rolled my eyes at Damon as I got up from the coach and stretched out my refreshed muscles, the hungover feeling of only minutes ago was long gone and I felt amazing. Better than ever, the pain was sort of worth this invincible high I felt afterwards, it made me feel as if I could take on anyone and everyone. Like I could head out into the world and solve every lost souls problems, at times I hated the need to heal others it was such a downer and always got me in trouble. Like now, Damon Salvatore the eternal lost soul and here I was drawn to him like a moth to the flame. I needed to help him because if I didn't at least try I would never forgive myself. Damon stood up in front of me, he was taller than me and I found myself having to look up just to make eye contact. I don't know how long we stood there just staring at each other, assessing each other but I do know the silence was killing me. I have always had issue with long silences and I felt the need to fill them, just why would you want to be in the same room as another person and remain silent? The concept was completely foreign to me.

"Now what?" I asked in order to just fill that god awful silence.

"We have fun until St Stefan returns."

"Why is it that the mere idea of your kind of fun makes me nervous?" I laughed shoving his shoulder, he took a few stumbling steps backwards smirking. He was far too confident for his own good. That smirk and that body probably got him in a lot of trouble. Probably got unsuspecting women in a lot of trouble, I gave a small secret smile, I would have to be careful too. I had the strangest of feelings that if he wanted he could seduce me into doing just about anything. I needed to be stronger than he was.

"That's because Anya, your mind is rarely out of the gutter." He reached forward and flicked the end of my nose as I pulled my long curled bronze hair back into a ponytail. "My fun however was completely innocent."

"Please when have you ever been innocent in your life. I bet even as a child you were up to no good." I guffawed loudly placing my hands on my hips, he merely continued to smirk clearly enjoying joking with me.

"That is beside the point. How about we have a drink and maybe you will stop being just a tight ass." He moved over to a small cabinet that had a carefully placed bottle of scotch and several crystal glasses perched on top of it. He placed two glasses side by side and began to pour a good amount of scotch into both.

"Now, now, we both know you love my tight ass." I quirked my eyebrows up at him as I took the glass of rusty heaven he had poured me with a small thank you. He looked taken back at my statement and I only grinned more. "I have caught you looking on several occasions".

"Can't a man appreciate art?" He swirled his scotch before drinking it, he honestly thought he could silence me with that statement. I had turned into a bit of a Cheshire cat as I grinned at him again, taking his own scotch glass from his hand just as he raised it for another sip. I smiled over his glass as I downed it contents and then that of my own glass. Slowly and carefully I placed it back on the cabinet and took about refilling them.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as he moved behind me, watching over my shoulder. I leaned back slightly into him and I could feel the darkness that surrounded him, he reached forward and placed a hand on the neck of the bottle as I poured it and I found myself staring at our hands side by side. Only those trained could see auroras, some witches could do it, and if they saw what I saw now they too would stare. The perfect white and gold of my own contrasted beautifully with the pitch black that surrounded Damon but that wasn't the mesmerizing part. They tried to intermingle with the closeness of their perspective owners but they couldn't. I watched my own jump about with nervousness as it tried to source out away to soothe the blackness that was Damon. I drew my eyes back and stopped the flow of power to my eyes so I could no longer see every detail and my eyesight was reduced to that of an average human. Damon finished pouring but didn't give any indication of moving.

"Its rude to steal a person's drink you know?" He leant forward to whisper in my ear, moving round to face him I let the annoyance dance across my feature before shoving him away.

"You are very full of yourself you know that." I paused briefly as I picked up my scotch glass off the cabinet and began to cross the room to the fire. "Now what was it you said about having fun?"

"Finally you are talking my language" He picked up a remote from the table in the center of a room, crossing it in the traditional Vampire blur, loud music began to vibrate within the room and Damon began to sway.

For the next little while we drank, we danced and ran around the massive house that was the Salvatore boarding house. It felt so good to be let my hair down and act like a carefree teenager even if I wasn't far from it, it still felt amazing to dance and sing like one. The brilliance of my mood spread to the moody brooding Damon, he laughed as we bantered back and forth. My lies seemed to have been taken on well as he spent the morning making witch jokes at me. It was nice to have someone to act like this with. Don't get wrong Mark was great but who in all honesty parties with their fathers? Not many people.

The serenity of my freedom was short lived as we realized Stefan was missing. He had been out too long and though I daren't admit it to Damon, I could no longer sense him. I kicked myself for letting go and not watching out for those that surrounded me. I gathered my things quickly as we head out the door to search for Elena and alert her of what was going on. Damon being the "lone wolf" kind of guy tried to make me stay put but that wasn't happening. If something was going on I wasn't missing out. Damon kept dialing Elena's number but each time she hung up her phone, I knew from Stefan's mind that she wasn't Damon's biggest fan and so if he appeared to be calling for a chat of course she would ignore it. Having already scanned the woods for any sign of him and come up empty handed Damon had decided that the only logical place for him to be was with Elena, hence the calling. Now if only she would pick up her damm phone everyone would stop worrying about him.

Within a matter of minutes Damon had broke the speed limit several times as he raced the car to Elena's house. With one last attempt in calling her before we went barging in, Damon shook his head in failure. He threw the car door open with a grunted "wait here". I gave a small nod as I watched him approach the door before knocking on it. Elena opened it skeptical as Damon waltzed in, clearly he had been invited in previously.

"You're ignoring me." He stated in a deep monotone as I watched him walk into her house. Unfortunately Elena closed the door behind him and I was reduced to eavesdropping on them to hear if Stefan was safe.

"The six missed calls? Sorry my phone is dead." She was snarky which was a first since we had met, she clearly wasn't as goody two shoes as what she painted herself out to be but considering he great distaste for Damon I wasn't that surprised.

"Is Stefan here?" his voice was curious as I heard Damon move anxiously about her hallway I was presuming.

"No" she answered him immediately with a bored and annoyed tone. She really didn't have any intention of dealing with Damon's usual sarcasm. "Why? Is something wrong?" clearly she sensed the lack of arrogance surrounding Damon in the moment. My heart sank as I realized where Stefan was. I was half in the mind to climb out of the car and go get him myself but I didn't know how many of them could have a taken him and it would be far too difficult to explain how I managed to fight them all off and rescue him. So for now I stayed put and did as I was told. After all I was supposed to be a fragile little witch.

"…I figured he was here with you." I missed some of what Damon had said but I doubted it mattered, he was probably relaying what we had already figured out this morning.

"It's going straight to voicemail." Elena had obviously done some checking with her own mobile as to why there had been no answer to Stefan's phone. "Where could he be?"I moved nervously in my seat, just waiting for them to come out of that house so we could go get him before things got out of control.

"You're not going to like what I am thinking." Was Damon's only reply before he got her up to date with the theory that Miss Pearl – whoever she was- and her merry band of Vampires had taken Stefan hostage.

I rested my head against the window and watched cars drive past me outside. This had to be my own personal best for getting myself into trouble with Vampires. It usually took me a few weeks to get into minor trouble, six or so months before it was dangerous and over a year before life threatening. At this rate it was safe to presume by the end of the month I would be in great peril. Then again, maybe this time was different. Stefan had been taken hostage for revenge against himself and Damon, nothing to do with me. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time when the drama unfolded. Granted I had put myself in the situation by going to help them the previous night but it was better to have Mystic Falls resident Vampires on my side because if, no when, the Others blew into town just like they had the tendency to do, I would need allies to help me out. To protect the town as I risked my life fleeing from them, to protect the important people like Rick from any danger. I could hear Elena scrambling about in her house as Damon slide effortlessly back into the driver's seat, we were going to pay Miss Pearl a visit.

So that's how I ended up here, cooked up in Damon's car as we waited outside the house that he had informed me belonged to Miss Gibbon and had been taken over by Miss Pearl. Damon told us this is where the tomb Vampires, like Fredrick had been staying and seen as he Fredrick has escaped last night this was the easiest solution as to where Stefan had been taken. Elena fidgeted in the backseat and the air in the car grew tense. We knew each other but didn't know each other well, the friendliness of our meeting last night dissolved as we sat waiting in the car.

"It's going to be okay Elena." I stated it with confidence because even if it didn't look like it right now I would ensure that it soon would be, I didn't lose anyone. Ever. She seemed startled as we made eye contact through the rearview mirror, her brown eyes trembling with worry.

"Thanks but I just want him back here with me." she turned to look out of the car window briefly before turning back towards me. "Are you a Vampire?" I gave a small laugh despite it being inappropriate in such a tense atmosphere; I could help but find her directness comforting.

"No, I'm a Witch."

The conversation ended as Elena spotted Damon walking solemnly back toward the car. She leapt out of it without hesitation putting up and umbrella I hadn't noticed her clutching. The pair stood out in the rain discussing what had happened but I didn't need to eavesdrop as judging by the look on Damon's face and sharp feeling of pain that hit me every now and then, the feeling of a the feeling of being stabbed repeatedly and the fact with each flash of pain my skin felt like it was burning. I already knew where Stefan was and what was going on. They were torturing him in that house. Tears welled up in my eyes as they went for him again. Clearly they had been waiting for Damon's presence before beginning the more brutal part of the torture. I fought off the urge to cry as they slipped back into the car. Their wet clothes creaked against the leather seats causing me to shiver at the noise. I gritted my teeth as I felt my spine being stretched and slammed my hand against the car door growling furiously at the pain. Whoever the jackass hurting Stefan was going to die and I wasn't scared of feeling the pain of the power jump because clearly this person was vindictive and if they retained any light in them it wouldn't be much. I felt Damon's eyes on me immediately along with the doe eyes of Elena behind me.

"Go to the school. We need Alaric's help." I spoke tightly through gritted teeth and as if sensing I wasn't one to be missing with, Damon sped off. The warm hand of Elena gripped my shoulder.

"It's going to be okay." She whispered my previous words and I gave her a nod unable to speak.

The further away we got from the house the less I was able to feel Stefan's pain, his confusion and fear. In some ways I was glad that I could no longer experience it but at the same time I grew nervous because at least when I felt it, it meant he was still alive. The rain ran down the glass of the car window, zig zaging in and out it was mesmerizing and a welcome distraction to just watch the rain. As we pulled up in the school parking lot, I quickly removed my jacket in the vain hope the more I let the rain soak me and my clothes, the more of its unique healing ability I would absorb. Maybe then when we reached Stefan I could help him, take it all away. His injuries gone. I would wipe myself out and become tired and sleepily but it would be worth it; to help another soul, to heal. After all it was my primary function being what I was.

The car stopped and I exited the car and let the rain pour down on top of me, something that I needed it to do and something that it had yearned to do since it began. I didn't care that within seconds my hair was soaked, that my white t-shirt clung to my body showing off my equally white bra underneath or the flat muscles of my stomach. Or even that my black jeans were beginning to sag under the weight of the rain, the dye from my jeans began to run causing black water to pool at my converse clad feet. I made my way towards the school, not caring if the others had taken to following me. My eyes drifted shut as I let my connection to my Uncle guide me towards him. He was in his classroom getting ready to leave, I marched towards him with urgency and heard Damon fall into step with me.

"You know what's with you and the rain?" Damon mockingly asked from my right. I shrugged my shoulders in response and continued in the direction my heart was pulling me. This school was a maze, see this is exactly why I never chose to go to high school here. I would have been lost every single day. We turned the corner where Alaric's footsteps could be heard echoing. Damon went ahead as I walked at human pace behind him.

"Well don't you look alive?" he teased my Uncle, I continued to move at human pace not in any rush and soon Elena was by my side. She had previously been unable to keep pace and also unable to hear the current conversation, I tuned back in to ensure that I could intervene if they couldn't play nice.

"You can't hurt me." Rick stated it, his voice slightly uneasy as he was well aware that though he wouldn't die he would still feel the pain if Damon decided to draw out the process of his death like before.

"Oh I can hurt you alright." Was Damon's last words as I emerged into the corridor behind them both, Rick looked stunned to see me with Damon and equally as confused at Elena's presence.

"Anya.." he said my name as a warning, the same thing he did when I was a child and he was prepared to give me in trouble for something I had done. I smiled at him weakly as Elena spoke.

"Mr. Saltzman, we need your help." Rick didn't look at Elena for long but instead turned to me, he looked so disappointed me as he shook his head. Though both Damon and Elena were dry despite the rain, I was soaked and Rick wasn't stupid he knew what that meant, he had been here before. He knew all about my need for water to be able to heal my injuries quicker than human pace and how I could heal the superficial wounds of those around me; cuts, gouges, broken bones heart ached for him to comfort me but he was too disappointed in me, I think that is what hurts more, his disappointment rather than his anger. If he was just angry he could shout at me and I could ease the tension with a joke and an explanation. But disappointment? For that I had no cure.

"Please, Rick." I pleaded with watery blue eyes; my plea drew the attention of Damon as he skeptically looked between us both.

Rick grunted and turned back towards his classroom indicating we should follow, I moved off first and when I entered the room directly behind him I repeated his action of sitting down next to him on his desk.

"We shall discuss this later." He voice was tern so I could only nod like a berated child as Damon and Elena filled into the room. Damon took to lounging against the window casually, where as Elena approached Rick and began to plead our case.

She took Rick through the whole story and he listened intently, though he was completely indifferent to the whole thing, he would glance up at me occasionally but I wouldn't dare remove my gaze from the floor in fear of what I might see. His anger or disappointed in his eyes, I just couldn't bare it. He was the only family I had and I needed him. so I did something that I rarely do, I retracted into my shell. Where I couldn't feel others and my powers were completely shut down. In theory I was as weak as a human, without my power circulating my body but I was stronger than I looked. Mark had spent a lot of time ensuring I could fight without my powers and it tended to be how I did it. Without the power circulating in my body, causing me to hear see and sense things I was at a disadvantage yes but at the same time I was free of seeing people auroras, feeling their pain but it came at a price. The longer I did it for the harder it would be to bring them forward again, that's why I embraced my 'gift' and let it circulate like blood in and around me because without doing that I was vulnerable.

"Stefan's in the house. Damon's a vampire, he can't get in. We need you. I would go but-"

"Your life is valuable." Damon spoke up with actually concern in his voice but I didn't dare take my eyes off my mud clad trainers. "Yours on the other hand…" my hands tightened into fists at my side, Damon was wrong out of everyone in the room Rick's was the most valuable to me.

"Stefan told me about your ring."

"What about it?" Rick was still using his indifferent and angry monotone, he was looking at me as he said it his eyes burning my flesh with his gaze. I had always hated him being mad at me.

"Let me recap, you tired to kill me I defended myself. You died. Then according to my brother your ring brought you back to life. Am I missing anything out?" Damon's quick pro quo of the events only a few days ago seemed to stir something in Rick and I finally tore my eyes from the floor to watch for his reaction. He had always had a nasty temper. H leaned back in his seat as he spoke before pushing up into a standing position.

"Yeah. The part where I try and kill you again only this time I don't miss." He moved around me as I spoke in the direction of Damon, I stood up blocking his path and held his bewildered eye contact as I placed my hand on his chest retraining him, I breathed back my power into circulation slightly so if needed I could use my strength to separate the two of them. I felt like a parent separating too naughty children on the playground.

"Rick. Are you honestly going to rise to his bait? He is a self centered jackass and we both know if need be I will take you both down for some peace and quiet around here. This as much as it will no doubt pain Damon, isn't about him. You know Stefan is a good person considering the circumstances; does he really deserve to die because your ego got the better of you? Does Elena deserve the pain of losing him? I thought you taught me better than that but maybe I was wrong."

Rick groaned and shook his head as he moved away from me, I had hurt his feelings because he deep down he knew I was right regardless of his feelings towards Damon. Stefan didn't deserve this and neither did Elena. Don't get me wrong Rick is really a big softy at heart, when Mark let him visit or me go to stay with him, there was never anything that he considered too big or small a request. He ensured that I never wanted for anything at all as long as I was in his care. He taught me how normal people interacted, how to ride a bike, how to swim, all the things I should have leant as a child but with a blank memory I couldn't remember how to do. He was family and I loved him, I knew if I pushed a little harder I could get him to agree to help without blackmail because he was a good guy, the best guy.

"Come on Anya, why did you have to get involved in this? We both know I could have easily walk away and not risked my life, if only they had shown up but now you expect me to try and say no to you?" He groaned in defeat as he moved angrily running his hand through his hair, he knew I had played him and also that I won because he lacked the ability to say no to me. The daughter Isobel never let him have.

"Don't be stupid, even if I wasn't here and I wasn't asking this of you, you would have helped Elena and I am sure Damon could have fabricated some blackmail as an incentive. Please Rick, do this for me. Because otherwise I am going to get him on my own and who knows maybe this time they will actually get me." I shrugged feigning like I didn't care if the Others that had hunted me since the moment I woke up finally caught up with me. It was a dangerous game to be playing especially with Rick, I winced as he slammed his hand off the table.

"Alright I will help but don't think for a second I am letting you anywhere near that house."


	7. Chapter 7: Saving St Stefan

**A/N: Please read and review, I own nothing and THANK YOU to everyone who has added this story to their favourites or out it on alert =]**

I smiled smugly as Rick laid out his weapons on the table in front of everyone, I was extremely happy with myself because a- he had agreed to help and that meant we would be able to do this perfectly without anyone dying. A few injuries were forcible but no death for that I was sure, not on my watch at least and b- the weapons he placed on the table were my doing, I had sourced each and everyone, made a few of them. I reached forward picking up a vervain dart and twirling it in my fingers as Elena gawked at the collection, I felt like pushing her jaw back in place and telling her this was emergency kit, the real collection was much greater and far more impressive. Not that Rick every used it, he preferred going old school and making it personal with his staking of Vampires.

"Teacher by day Vampire Hunter by night." Damon murmured darkly as he ran his hands along the array of wooden stakes, clearly impressed.

"Well I have you to thank for that." Rick's response only added to the only heavy tension in the room, I had forgotten all about Damon and Isobel's altercation. I shot him a glare as I happily swung my legs back and forth. Elena was looking at the dart in my hand and I raised it up so she could she better as the light caught it showing the clear liquid inside.

"It's a Vervain dart, the Vampire version of a tranquilizer." I explained before jumping down off my perch of the desk, the movement cause as slight thud on the floor but I turned round and continued on with my speech anyway. "So if we would all like to discuss how we are getting me into the house so I can kick ass that would be perfect."

"No, you aren't going anyway near that house. Just get me in and I will get Stefan out." Damon countered my response and it only caused my temper to flare, I stared him down as I leaned across the table setting my shoulders to show I meant business.

"What do you mean I'm not going anywhere? I handled myself perfectly fine last night and if I remember correctly it was you that let Fredrick get away not me." I growled at Damon, I was equally as capable as he was, actually more than him, to go into that house and get Stefan. I could compel my way through the whole damm house if I wanted too. The only problem was getting Fredrick to open the door long enough to let me, I had killed his girlfriend last night and I doubted seducing him would work.

"What do you mean last night?" Rick gripped my arm and spun me round to face him.

"It's nothing honest; I just saved Stefan's life, like I am trying to do now." I explained and brushed it off like no big deal, after reading my face for signs of deceit Rick let go of my arm. He may have been content with that answer for now but it wouldn't last long. We had all been so caught up in the argument nobody apart from me had noticed Elena slipping a Vervain Dart into her pocket. I looked at her sceptically, this girl was going to get herself killed and clearly I was wrong about nobody dying. I had factored in Elena being psychotic.

"No, no, no, no, no. Put that back." I snapped her, her eyes opened wide with fear and confusion, her mouth gaped like a fish as she prepared to deny having done anything. "Don't even try and lie to me Elena Gilbert, I seen you. You are not going into that house and getting yourself killed."

"And you can? I can get in and get Stefan with you, whilst Damon and Mr Saltzman cause a distraction." Elena was quick with her defence and I had to admit the girl had a point, the plan would work and she would be safe enough with me. Once getting to Stefan she could carry him as I ran defence against any Vampires heading our way, instead of me having to carry Stefan and dish out ass kicking's to anyone that tried to stop me. I would be much freer to move about and hopefully ensure everyone remained alive. I paused considering her offer.

"You pair will only get yourselves killed." Damon cut me off as I pondered over Elena's offer and how I was going to accept it. He held my eye contact ice blue against dark, before turning away to face Rick. "Now when you get me in, get out as quickly as you can because I know where to sneak about where they can't hear me. You'll basically just be in the way."

"This is not the time to be the lone ranger Damon. Anya and I are coming with you." I smiled with pride because it was becoming apparently clear that Elena, despite her suicidal tendencies, was my kind of girl. She was stubborn and loved Stefan fiercely, so much so she was willing to endanger herself.

"Fine, you can man the getaway car." Damon sweetly spoke to Elena before staring me down. "You are not going in that house either of you." Where as Elena got a nice suggestion of driving the car, I got the voice of authority that was so far from sweet it was unreal. Joy, I get the violent Damon.

"Do you honestly think you can stop me?" I rebuked and without removing my gaze from its lockdown stare out with Damon I addressed my Uncle. "Rick, you know what I can do and you also know I am without a doubt the strongest person in this room. If you try and leave me in the car, I shall only give in to Elena's pleas and shall escort her to the house in order to rescue Stefan. Just so we are clear regardless of what you or jackass over here says, I am going in that house."

Rick ran his hand through his air and began to stutter, he was well aware of the fact I was everybody's best bet for safety but not only that, I was also extremely defiant. It's the whole reason I no longer live in the Temple after all. Damon looked wildly between the three of us and I watched as his temper finally snapped.

"I cant protect you in that house Elena. I don't know how many Vampires are living there-" he snapped his fingers and Elena jumped. " That's how long it takes for you to get your head ripped off. I have to be able to get in and get out. I cant be distracted with your safety." He spun to face me on his heel and I fought off the urge to laugh, he looked wildly with rage and for some reason I just couldn't bring myself to be scared. He was just a hurt and lost little boy inside. "And you. Regardless of you well you think you did last night and your apparent ability to stand up for yourself, the last thing I need is for you to be running around with your witchy mojo and getting yourself caught, then killed once they have had there fun. Or this will end in a bloodbath, none of us walk away from, including Stefan."

His speech was touching and heart wrenchingly true but it still didn't alter my plans. Rick reached forward and tapped my elbow twice, fighting the urge to clap my hands and stamp my feet with joy at having won him over, I gave Damon a sombre nod. Pretending I would do as I was told. The two taps on my shoulder meant one thing and one thing only, I was getting my way, a trick that began a few years ago whenever Mark would argue with Rick that I didn't need whatever I had asked for, he would tap my elbow once for "Marks right, sorry kid" and twice for "Na, fuck it. You can have it." So clearly I was going to get my own way here, despite what Damon believed. Rick sighed out as if he was giving into Damon's will as he packed up his tools, he spoke in a bored monotone.

"If we are gonna go, let's go."

It had been eleven minutes since we had left the school, ten of those spent driving here and one watching Damon and Rick exited the car. Only Elena and I remained, I leant back into the seat. They had parted with words of warning to stay in the car or there would be trouble. I watched the clock counting down the final minute, I had promised myself two minutes before taking Elena up to the house, five four three two and one. I pushed the car door open and Elena went wide eyed. I turned leaned down into the car as I pushed the back seat forward for her to climb out. I gestured for her to exit the car.

"I promised them that if they left me in the car I would escort you to the house and we would rescue Stefan." I rubbed my hands on my jeans before offering her one to help her out the car. "You coming?" she took my hand in hers and I pulled her out. Her small hand was elegant and her skin was tanned next to the ice white of my own. Once out of the car she stood facing me in the rain, breathing deeply in order to calm herself. For now they had stopped torturing Stefan but I could still sense his apprehension so I was confident he was still alive, for now at least.

"You still got that dart?" I smiled at Elena, she slipped it out of her pocket like a naughty child. "Good, now once we are in there, I need you to stay close to me." Elena nodded as we both knew one mistake could cost one of us our lives and Stefan his. "Getting Stefan should be easy enough, the problem lies in getting back out. I need you to promise me that once we get him, if anything happens to me you will take him straight out of that house because I have done this before and trust me I can do this. Promise me, you won't do anything stupid?"

"I promise, Stefan comes first." She promised and I knew she meant it, she loved him with all her heart and he came first over the rest of the world to her.

We moved in silence, too worried to keep up the pretence of conversation. The rain was still pouring down, it gave me a slight confidence in myself that I really could do this but I was still nervous as the ground was still slippery and muddy, I watched Elena carefully the last thing I needed was her falling over and making a noise. I lead her round the back of the house, using the front door wasn't an option and this wasn't exactly a climb through the window operation. We climbed up onto the peeling white porch round the back of the house, crouching down next to the back door to listen for any sign of Vampires on the other side of the door. It was so cold out that both our breathing could be seen in front of us, this weather was a vengeful Vampires dream.

"Billy, Jacob get back in here." A voice sounded from inside, well there goes the plan of using the back door. Upon spying a staircase leading down to a cellar possibly, I closed my eyes and searched for Stefan's light. Sure enough in the direction of the stairs a yellow light was flickering in and out. I nudged Elena, as she kneeled cowering against the wall and pointed towards the stairs. Keeping ourselves low, we pretty much crawled towards and then down the stone steps towards the flickering light. Elena of course couldn't see it in her mind and followed me because she knew that was the safest bet. Thankfully at the base of the stairs the black Iron Gate was pushed slightly open, someone had been very clumsy with their security. Sadly I couldn't say the same for the locked door just passed the gate. I gestured for Elena to stand back as I moved my hand over the lock, using blind faith to move the lock mechanisms, my outstretched hand toward the door flickered as I indicated the direction I wanted to move certain parts of the lock system. I wasn't sure it would work until I heard the door click open.

A quick check down the corridor to be certain there were no Vampires insight I slipped through the door and whispered for Elena to do the same. At the end of the corridor my ears picked up the sound of someone breathing and the blare of an iPod turned up a little bit too loud, I pushed Elena back against the wall, I turned round pining her to it my hand covering her mouth encase she gasped a little too loudly. The frightened stare form my eyes told her all that I needed her to know, she nodded carefully beneath my hand I stepped back from her gesturing to stay there and keep quite as I turned to face the doorman.

He was grubby thing, not very smart it would appear, I clicked my fingers to no avail he wouldn't look up. Well beggars can be choosers, I rushed forward at Vampire pace and stood in front of him. the man jumped up, his iPod clattering to the floor. I gave him a small smile.

"What the-" and that was all it took for me to reach forward and snap his neck. Gritted my teeth as the power surged from him to me, I let his body clattered to the floor next to his iPod, he slumped down at my feet as I leant against the wall for strength. The sharp pain in my neck hurt like a bitch but I was glad that at least his soul wasn't clean. Elena appeared next to me muttering far too many questions far too quickly, I was in too much pain to listen. I took several deep breaths and soon enough the pain eased like always. i was so relieved that I was able to take the pain of the jump but it didn't last long, another one slammed into my heart this time, someone had been staked. My fists pounded wildly against the wall as tears ran down my face, stupid fucking Damon just had to go and kill someone. My body began to spasm, at the force of two jumps so close together but I didn't have to time to waste as the soundless movements of someone approaching use screeched in my ears painfully. i swung myself round in front of Elena ready to face whoever was coming towards us. My heart contracting painfully in my chest where I clutched at it trying to stop, soon enough the mystery Vampire was upon us and my heart stopped all together.

"Are you insane?" I have never been so relieved to be greeted by Damon's sarcasm in my life. I let out a deep breath of relief and resisted the urge to jump up and hug him. I merely laughed and pointed at a door in front of us. I gently pushed Elena towards it.

"He's in there." I murmuerd through short breaths as the pain subsided for now.

She raced though it without a second glance and I let myself slip down to the floor sitting next to the man I had just killed. Damon stood staring at me, clearly his new favourite hobby. I wasn't in the mood for his interrogation or staring. I waved at him to go through the door and after pausing slightly he followed Elena's erratic path through the door. My eyes drifted close asi took to calming my heart in order to drive away the pain, just as my body began to feel the benefits of the power another memory took over and I was transported back to my own past.

"Child you have been brought before us, so we can decide your punishment." My heart thumped loudly in my ears, it was slamming so hard against my chest I feared it would break free of my rib cage and unleash a whole new world of pain upon me. The marble floor was cold and hard against my knees, the white gown they forced me to wear constantly was ripped and stained with blood. I never quite understood why they made me dress this way. My dark hair always curled, for special occasions they would place small gems throughout my mass of dark curls as they fell down past my shoulders. My dress that fell to my knees was white and gold, to match my aurora I presumed, it wasn't very modern at all and looked more like a shorter version of something a girl of the 16th century would wear as a night gown. Mark once said it was to show my innocence and that though I didn't believe them perhaps I was older than what I looked. I disagreed. They dressed me like this -with no make up because my full black eyelashes didn't need, a simple gown to flatter my athletic frame, my hair left to curl into its natural ringlets making me look like fairy- wasn't to make me appear innocent, no it was make me appear attractive and try and force me to fit the image of the being I was suppose to be.

I was the Elders greatest disappointment, more so than the fakes that they had dragged through here throughout the centuries, where as I may be the real deal and be as strong and as in intelligent as any of them. I didn't fit with the image; I didn't look how they wanted me too. I didn't act they way they wanted me too, I did at first but I woke up and the essence of my past life seeped in, my strong personality fought its way through to the surface. You see in their eyes I was suppose to be small and fragile, I was suppose to have long ice white blonde hair and deep brown eyes that reflected the innocence of a deer. I was supposed to be vulnerable, require delicate care and attention. They wanted me to be the epitome of feminine behaviour, to skip through the flowers, sing to animals and stun everyone with my beauty. That was the image they had retained and fought to maintain over the years. I disappointed them because I shattered their perfect ideal.

Now they forced me to kneel against the marble floor of the grand hall, where The Protectors, the grand Elders met; to be judged and punished for trying to grasp to my humanity. The Protectors consisted of four of the most powerful temple members, they stood in long crimson cloaks with pristine white ropes-unlike the Elders who simply wore a simple white cloak with a gold rope- to me they looked like the four horsemen of the apocalypse except two were women.

"Child, do you have the ability to explain to us why you thought an escape possible? Have you not learnt to respect us after all this time?" One of the men spoke his cloak hide any recognisable feature from me, his voice was loud and tore through the room like thunder. "Answer me." I remained still like stone, stubbornness over took me and I set my jaw. Under no circumstances would I give in. a cold calculated slap hit me square on the face, pain stung from above my left eye down to my jaw but I didn't move, not even a hairs breadth. The man took a step back with disbelief.

"Anastasia, we need to hear it from you my sweet. What did you think you would achieve." One of the women spoke softly this time, I snorted, Mark had told me of this technique it was one the humans referred to as good cop, bad cop. It was used in interrogating criminals. I want to laugh at the irony of my life here, their teachings told them I was someone to be worshipped but they were so corrupted that they treated me like a pet, beaten a bruised when I spoke my mind. I dragged my eyes, they were dancing now with the blue flames of my anger and I heard the intake of breath. My appearance had shocked them and I had no doubt that I looked demonic.

The hands that held me to the floor quivered, the Elders were unsure of my next move, I will never fully understand why but they let me stand up. My hands still tightly bound behind my back like one of their science experiments. I moved my feet carefully towards the man with the voice of thunder, the man who had delivered that brutal slap. I squared my body as I stood before him, I set my legs and back, my body position was strong. I stood just breathing regaining in my temper.

"You will not touch me again." I spoke it clearly and the room remained in its eerie silence, the eyes of the court watched me. My own eye met that of Mark where he leaned against confidently against a pillar in the far corner of this grand room. I had not told him of my escape plans and I was certain that I could see pride dancing over his features, he was the only kind of father I had ever known and I was grateful to him for this past year but now was the time for me to show everyone in the Temple I was some insolent child. I moved off on my feet, my movements as delicate as those of a ballet dancer.

"I will accept whatever punishment you dish me out but be under no illusions that I will not attempt this again. The only difference is that next time I will succeed." I turned my attention to The Protectors, in order to ensure my next words were understood. "You asked me earlier if I had learned to respect you after all this time and my answer is no. I find myself unable to respect a Temple full of jumped up, pompous twats and yes, I have forgotten about your love for formality in these hearings because I couldn't give less of a shit. So go ahead and punish me, continue to treat me like some pet you picked up off the street but it would do you good to remember that one day I will be stronger than any of you and that is the day you will wish _you _had respected _me." _

No-one spoke, no-one moved and I doubted main people breathed. My heart was racing faster than ever, I couldn't believe it, I had told them off. The adrenaline pumped through my veins faster than ever and my breath was ragged. I was bag of nerves as I waited for them to speak, for someone to speak, I didn't know what was coming next. If they would shut up in a cage for a week as punishment, take Mark away from me or even go to the extreme of torturing me again. Frankly I didn't want to know, there is only so much pain I could handle and I was teetering on the edge of losing it all together. A slow clap started from the man with the thunderous voice and brought my attention back to The Protectors.

"Such fire and passion is inspiring, I don't know about you-" he spoke out into the room, where they Elders all sat, over two thousand I guessed all seated around to room as if they were watching some great play. "But I am beginning to wonder if the child would have such fire in battle." My heart stopped, I knew what my punishment was before he had ever said it. He pointed at one of the Elders who had been holding me to the floor, he and his companion were part of the guard division of the Temple. "You boy, take the girl to the garden and we shall see how she holds up against Keres". My howls and screams of protest shook the room as I lost control and began to cry.

"Please. I can't face Keres. Please, anything. PLEASE." I screamed as they pulled me from the room, to face my death. The guards pulled me solemnly towards the –

I was snapped away from my dream like state by someone shaking my shoulder, the clearest blue eyes I have ever seen drifted in front of me and I smirked. Damon was checking if I was alive, how kind of him. The full benefits of being rejoiced hit me and I all but leapt back onto my feet with the aid of Damon's hand.

"I am fine." I spoke answering the silent question he had been asking since he appeared to find me and Elena in the house. I patted his shoulder and moved past him into the room. Stefan was struggled to help another Vampire, I winced as he pulled the stake from his fellow prisoner's leg. I raced forward taking over, ushering Stefan and Elena out of the way as I pulled the next stake out of his leg. Stefan and Elena were exiting the room as I kneeled in front of the man. He was African American, probably an old salve from whenever he was turned. He smiled at me and after I finished untying his hands he reach forward and brushed the fair skin on my cheek.

"You know Miss, I never did believe their stories." I looked at him completely confused he looked so awestruck. "But now that I have seen you, I know they were right Miss. You're as beautiful as they said you would be." I stuttered at him, stunned, did he know what I was?

"I don't understand." I let the words drifted from my lips as I racked my brain for anyway of being able to understand what he meant. Had people in his time known about my kind? Was there a time when we weren't a secret? We weren't hushed up and never spoke of? Was there a time when more than one of us roamed the earth? So many questions and I literally had no time to ask them. He seemed to understand the panic and confusion on my face.

"Don't fret about it Miss, I was just admiring you for myself. Your secret is safe with me, I wont tell them." At that moment Damon appeared back at the door, the man jumped back from touching me.

"Sorry to break up the party but Elena is on rescues and we are on distract lets go." I stood up not looking away from the man in front of me, I took his hands in mine and muttered a quick thank you. As I did so I let some of the water dripped down off my clothes and with ease droplet it began to heal his wounds. Damon pulled me down the corridor, there was no needs for words we both knew that from here on in it was kill anyone that seemed to get in the way. As we rounded the corner at the top of a set of stairs into the main part of the house, the dark figure of Fredrick began apparent before I could move Damon had rushed at him slamming him hard against the wall. As the pair fought it out, I ran past and checked the other rooms. In the kitchen a man lay staked on the table, perhaps the cause for my heart pain moments ago but aside from that the room was clear, a rush of feet caused me to turn back to the fight near by. Two Vampires gripped Damon, as Fredrick lay stunned on the floor. I had two options get Fredrick of help Damon, being the Good Samaritan I chose Damon. Taking a deep breath I swung my leg up and booted the first one in the face, he flew backwards into the wall opposite, the foundations of the house shook with the force and plaster dusted down on top of him. Sadly once I was done admiring my handiwork, Fredrick had raced off and Damon was still being punched in the face repeatedly by the sounds of things, and the pain radiating in my face.

Before I could move to help an icy hand gripped the back of my neck as another tried to snake round the front, the dick head was going to try and snap my neck. How rude. In a flash, untraceable for even Vampire eyes I had spun and gripped his arm. Leaning forward slightly I threw him over my back and smashed him against the floor. His bones snapped, wood cracked and I found my self pinning him to the ground punching the life out of the guy, with each hit I took I was hit with the same force of pain and if anything it took the opposite effect. Instead of slowing me down, I spurred me on and made me angrier with each fresh hit. Wind danced across my back as a warning as someone moved speedily behind me, Damon who had up until this point had been recovering watching me stunned, jumped up and began battling with the other guy who had apparently just woken up. Reaching behind me for the wooden table as the Vampire beneath me lay out cold, I snapped off one of its legs causing the table to topple. With one deep breath, I drove it straight into his heart.

"Fucking hell!" I screamed as my body began to writhe in pain, deep breaths weren't working as his light poured out into me. There wasn't much but it still hurt like hell. Stupidly Damon turned to face me, giving his opponent the upper hand, panic and pain fought for control as I watched the Vampire behind Damon reach forward for his neck. There was a whistle of wind before another wave of pain, I slumped forward. My face resting against the cool floor, sweat poured from me as I muttered expletives from the pain. I recognised Rick's presence immediately as he took me in his arms, he kissed my forehead and told me it would be alright, just to breath. He had only seen me go through this once before, so if anything he was making it up as he was going along.

"I'm going after Fredrick." Was Damon's parting words as he rushed off.

I lay there just breathing and trying to clear the pain as Rick stroked my hair, his gun had been abandoned in order to take care of me. My vision soon began to clear up and I found that it was sharper than ever, at least I had gained something from this evenings, I could only pray I would be stronger also. I turned and tried to sit up, Rick let me and moved to grab his gun. There as a rattle of glass bottles above our heads just before some dick head pounced on Rick from above, groggily I stood up as he bite into my uncles neck. Rick mustering strength threw him off and into the wall opposite, both men stumbled to the floor, seeing my chance I threw myself onto the Vampires back and a vervain dart into his neck. His body gave out beneath me and I let myself fall with him. Frankly I was quite happy to lay there playing dead but Rick had already untangled himself form the dog pile and was picking me up.

"You okay kiddo?" he smiled brushing the hair out of my face where it was sticking to the sweat. I gave him a small nod, before I reached forward and brushed my fingers against his neck. My body seemed to sigh of its own accords out of gratification as his neck began to heal. The heavy breathing of Damon was sounded out behind us, I moved down the corridor towards him and that's when I noticed it.

When the Vampire bit in Ricks neck, I didn't feel it. Well my neck had felt uncomfortable like someone had gripped it roughly but not I am tearing your throat out kind of pain. I was so happy that at last enough people had died near me that I was going up a level I guess, it was a grim and selfish thought but it was the truth. Like in a video game, the more people that died the more light I gained, a certain amount of light means I process in my development. when I first started out in this new life, if someone was injured near me my body took on the same injury. I would develop cuts and gouges out of nowhere, not matter how fatal they were to the person relieving the real injuries mind never came to that. They would heal after about a minute but I still felt the pain of the act and for weeks afterwards my skin would bruised where the offending injury had been. I had come a long way since then.

"Fredrick's gone." Damon wheezed out between breaths, who knew Vampires could get tired.

"Lets just go." I murmured rubbing my neck out of tiredness, 'levelling up' really took it out of me. we all moved towards the door, Damon and rick nursing there cuts and bruises.

"I am going to kill him." Damon exclaimed as he reached for the front door handle, I gave a half laugh at his statement, he could do what he likes just as long as he doesn't do it in range of me. The boys moved out through the front door but for some reason I hesitated slightly, something wasn't quite right, cautiously I moved towards the door. The night air danced across my skin, moisture hung in the air as I moved to stand between Damon and Rick.

"Ah for fuck sake." I muttered as the sight of six more vampires approaching the house entered my vision, right that's it. I don't care if I expose myself, I am doing this my way. I pushed the sleeves of my blood, mud and god only what else stained t-shirt up to my elbows as I began to move forward but as always Damon just had to grip me, this time he took hold of the loops in the back of my jeans.

"And where are you going, Sabrina?" He mocked me with an angry tone in my left ear, I though it was perfectly clear where I was going and what I was going to do. I was going to settle this once and for all, I was going to move with great speed, kill one to assert my dominance and compel the rest to run before I did the same but apparently Damon had other plans.

"How many more of those darts do you have?" Damon sighed turning to Rick as I crossed my arms like a sulking child.

"Eh…one."

"Yeah that's not going to be enough." Damon wrapped an arm around my waist and carried me back inside the house, Rick closed the door behind us and began to pace in the bloodbath that was the main hallway of the house. Soon after the pounding of fist against the door could be heard echoing throughout the house as the Vampires tried to get in, well used it as a scare method.

"Give me five minutes with them and then we can all head to the Grill for a nice drink." I moaned from where Damon still strangely held with ease to his side. I only got a laugh as a response and Rick just rolled his eyes, Damon opened his mouth to speak but I interrupted him. "It doesn't matter now, we have company anyway." The second I finished speaking the door was unlock to reveal a well dressed woman, who I presumed to be Miss Pearl. She took in the devastation of her home with sad eyes, she look mortified as she started at us.

"What did you do?" her voice wasn't quite a shout or normal level, it was the tone of disappointed astonishment. Not knowing a thing about the woman and the fact she only seemed to address Damon I left him to deal with the situation.

"Me? Your merry little band of Vampires spent the day torturing my brother." Damon look surprised and offended by her question, I didn't blame him I would be too, in fact I was. She was appalled by our behaviour? She looked taken back but quickly regained composure and entered what I presumed was business mode.

"Trust me. The parties responsible for this will be dealt with." I couldn't help but look at her in shock, really? Judging by the littering of dead bodies in this hall alone, did she really think she had anything left to deal with? Damon unwound his arm from my waist and took a step forward, his face intimidating close to Miss Pearls.

"Our little arrangement doesn't work unless you learn to control them." He all but spat in her face as he spoke. I had to respect the fact she didn't flinch.

"This wasn't suppose to happen." Okay well with statements like that she just lost my respect, of course this wasn't suppose to happen, though for selfish reasons I was glad it had, it shouldn't of happened at all. I should be at home or the Grill eating something greasy and not good for me at all. Not soaked in several other peoples blood.

"Well, it did. If I had a good side….not a way to get on it." Was the closing statement from Damon as he exited the building and we followed not far behind.

After changing my outfit back at my own house, I drove myself and Rick to The Grill for a drink and some food. The car journey alone was filled with a lot of shouting as I was made explain my involvement and "what the hell I was thinking". Though he threatened to call Mark, whom I had noted hadn't even called me today, I knew he wouldn't. He knew I couldn't resist the urge to help others, after all it was his favourite thing about me. I leaned against the bar sipping my scotch as we waited for some food, I looked over at my Uncle, he looked as tired as I felt as he downed his own drink. I waved for the barman to send us over another, I reached forward rubbing his shoulder easing some of the tension in his body. He breathed out slightly as he began to relax.

"Next time, let's give me some warning before entering me into a Buffy constant." He muttered shaking his head laughing.

"Hey, who says there will be a next time?" I laughed along with him pretending to be offended as I finally slipped out of my leather jacket, that I thankfully remembered to retrieve from Damon's car before going home, I had changed into a different pair of jeans and a long sleeved black button up t-shirt. Well I say button up but it only had about six buttons at the v-shaped neck line.

Today had been long and trying, so as soon as we were finished here I was going straight home to sleep for the next century. I leaned back stretching as Rick rubbed his eyes. I had decided I liked the Grill, I was never overly busy, rustic and warm. Not that I had been in many bars but this was my new favourite. The strangely familiar scent of Damon washed over me as he slide into the stool next to Rick.

"That was fun." His voice rising up at the end showing his surprise, he had enjoyed working with Rick today. "Oh don't look at me like that. I know you hate me-" Damon paused and leaned in towards Rick Hand over his mouth slightly on one side pretending to share a secret. "Guess what? Everyone hates me." he mock whispered and smiled to himself as he nursed a scotch that had been placed in front of him. Rick finished off his drink, and looked at me, almost asking permission. I didn't need to ask what he was thinking; he was going to punch Damon. I screwed my face up smiling as I nodded. "But you can't deny we were _bad ass."_

There was a brief pause before Rick stood up and punched Damon in the face with a grunt. He dropped some money on the bar and picked up his jacket.

"Sorry kiddo, I'll see you tomorrow." And with that he left, I picked up his money shuffling it before putting it in my jean pocket.

I would slyly return it tomorrow, seen as it looked like I was eating our meals by myself. I grinned as Damon rubbed his face where he had been punched, deserved him right for being such a dick. We sat in silence as I waited for my food, I hummed away to myself and swung my feet back and forth.

"You're rather smug with yourself aren't you?" Damon had shuffled closer and began to torment me.

"I am not going to lie to you, I enjoyed myself today and Rick punching you was definitely the highlight." As I spoke I moved my head to rest propped up on my arm, as I leaned it against the bar, my hand sliding under my chin for support. Damon just looked at me and laughed, I couldn't help but follow suit, my own delicate laugh filling the air.

"What's with you and the teacher anyway?" he did his weird eyebrow movement at me, the one that was annoying yet kind of sexy.

"He is my Uncle believe it or not." Damon spluttered to my right with surprised and Scotch was wasted upon the bar. "I know, shocking right?" I tapped the bar and another scotch slide coolly against my hand. I picked it up and handed it to Damon.

"Drink this and stop interrogating me, I am hungry and would like to relax." He took the glass from me with a smirk before drinking from it. I had hoped that meant he was silently agreeing to my terms.

A waitress came over, all smiles and placed two plates down in front of me. Both with double cheeseburgers and fries on them, I thanked her as she moved away to continuing working. I slide a plate over to Damon who shrugged and welcomed the offer.

"I know it doesn't fit to your usual dietary _requirements_ but you can eat it if you want." I did a weird gesture with my hand that I wasn't quite sure what it meant but it helped me sum up what I was saying none the less. Picking up the cheeseburger I began to devour it, I moaned with pleasure, oh this was heaven. My eyes drifted shut, I know its over dramatic but I was that hungry that this felt like ecstasy. I placed the burger back on the plate as I leaned back my hair tickling down my back, due to the rain earlier in the day my hair had dried into a mass of long silken curls like usual, curls that now bounced happily behind me as I stretched. I shook off the stretch and returned to my food. I couldn't help it but rush though my meal, it was so damm good, if it was possible to marry food I would have married this. I was sure I could show this food a good time, it was the best. The Temple's food consisted for vegetables and fancy meats I didn't quite understand, jumping about from place to place with Mark our meals tended to be microwaveable. He didn't cook and never did enough food shopping so that I could. This was the best meal I had in too long. I seemed to twitch with excitement as I continued to eating unaware of Damon's watchful eye and usual thoughtful silence.

"Anya?" his voice drifted up from next to me, I made some weird noise to indicate I had heard him so he could continue. "Would it be ridiculous of me to ask you to stay here and rink with me for a while once you have finished having sex with your food?"

My hands flew up to my mouth as I feared I would spit it out everywhere as mu shoulders began to shake with humour. I nodded profusely as I shook my hands up in down trying to speed up the eating process. Damon Salvatore was asking me to hang out with him again and I couldn't think of anything I wanted to do more.


	8. Chapter 8: Deeper Down the Rabbit Hole

**A/N: Thanks for reading the story and if you know the show its about to start picking up pace though it is about to diverge slightly in certain places because of Anya. I hope you enjoy this chapter, its mainly about Damon/Anya and her piecing some things together. Also the appearance of a certain mystery vampire ;) **

**I don't own anything as usual, though the things I would do to have Damon are unreal. **

A pair of cold hands held me by the waist as I swayed to the beat of nature, cool wind danced against my skin, the night sky was crystal clear each star a brilliant blue, animals were mooching about in the distance searching for food and plants were all tucked up for the night, holding their delicate petals in close so they didn't get too cold. I turned my slightly drunk mind back to the owner of said cold hands where they were half on my t-shirt and half on my exposed skin where my top had ridden up. My own hand seemed to reach up to brush black silk out of his eyes, maybe it was because I had drank my body weight in alcohol and then some but this guy was kind of beautiful. Not hot, or stunning, that made him sound cheap. He was beautiful. I sighed slightly as I confidently leaned back in his hands, knowing he wouldn't let me fall on backside. After all he had been preventing my stumbling the whole way home. Damon Salvatore was acting gentlemanly. I smirked evilly in the dim moonlight as a thought struck me.

"Hey!" I swayed slightly as I reached forward to poke him in the chest. "I have an idea." He leant forward edging closer and closer to my face, half way to a kiss. I snorted laughing at him and he merely shook his head. He was acting oh so cocky as per usual.

"What is your idea?" He asked breath fanning out across my face, it smelt like bourbon and scotch. I liked it.

"Catch me." I dipped down and dived away out of his gripped and backed away into the woods. We were stood outside my house, being in a surprisingly nice mood he had decided to take a taxi home with me; I was far too drunk to drive. His dark chuckle echoed after me as I began to dart in and out of the trees laughing smugly with myself. This is where he thought he had the upper hand but no, I was a very good runner. After all I spent a lot of my life running, like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland always running away, poor Alice never did quite catch him until he stopped. So I stopped briefly to lean against a tree, the moss was a little wet it reminded me of the rain from a few days before, man that had felt like years ago and not days. I had been having so much fun these last few days with just hanging out with Damon and Rick, all meals were consumed with my darling Uncle but all drinks were with Damon. Our banter seemed to grow and he had shared a few details of his relationship with Stefan. They had once been close but that was all reversed when the mysterious Katherine changed both of them. Damon told me very few details of her also, the love of his life and the woman he hopes he will one day find again. Frankly to me I didn't see the fuss and if she had been alive all this time she could have come and got him but then again what did I know of love? He also gave me a very quick run down of all the big things that had happened in this town so far and the real reason behind Vicki Donovan's death, the girl was all over the news as her body had been unearthed from a shallow grave the night we rescued Stefan. It was safe to say, Damon and I were becoming friends despite the fact I was yet to tell him anything about me all my questions were about his life. I sighed as the bark was rough against the back of my neck, during all the drinking I had taken to securing my hair up in a long curled mess of a pony tail, this left my neck exposed and the bark sought it out and rubbed against it uncomfortably.

Tonight had been so much fun, I felt almost human, who knew all this time all I needed was to hang out with a badass Vampire in order to get to grip with my humanity. The snapping twigs off to my left about a hundred yards indicated Damon's position, I gave one quick laugh before taking off running through the trees again. I started at human pace but just as he reached his fingers out to grab me I sped away faster than he could have even imagined. His fingers just brushed against the smooth cotton of my t-shirt. He growled in defeat and continued to chase after me, more determined this time than the last.

"It would appear little Miss Anya, there is a lot more to you than I first suspected." Damon's voice rang clear in the darkness as I panted heavily hiding behind yet another tree, I watched him carefully stalking me, trying to draw me out. I smiled in his direction, he couldn't see me though but I smiled at his poor attempt anyway. Soundlessly, in a movement not even the gentlest of breezes could mimic, I moved away from the tree and was soon quickly creeping up behind him. He shifted his weight to his left leg and I shot away behind a tree as he turned around to face where I had once stood. Holding my breath and trying to calm my heart as he looked about laughing away to himself, he was trying to seek me out but he couldn't quite do it. Once he returned to stalking, I moved to follow behind him once more and this time without hesitating I jumped forward onto his back. With a humph as he fell to the ground, wind escaping his lungs, I exclaimed with a gleeful laugh.

"It would appear Mr. Salvatore, I caught you." His face was in the dirt but his back shook with what I hoped was laughter and I soon found out why as he gripped my leg flipping me over and pining me to the ground.

"I thought the whole point of your game was for me to catch you." I couldn't look at him because I was laughing too much, my eyes watered with the effect of the humor. I wished I had met Damon long before now, so I could have always been having this much fun, I felt myself sober up much quicker as he ran his hand down my cheek brushing away dirt and leaves from my face. His eyes were dark with hunger, I didn't know what it meant but I felt it was time for me to leave, pushing on his shoulder he let me roll him off of me as I sat up.

"You know there is a Founders Day Kick Off thing tomorrow." Damon merely stated it as he lay looking at the stars but where as they were beautiful I found myself unable to look away from the peaceful and serene look on Damon's face, as he lay there just being.

"I know. Rick is dragging me to it, he doesn't want to go alone and there is some woman that he is hoping to woo attending." I paused debating if my next question was worth asking and with the alcohol still in my system, I had enough Dutch courage to ask it. "Will you be going?" it was a causal enough question but at the same time I didn't want him thinking I wanted him to be going, that would only cause his ego to grow even bigger. He merely shrugged in response and I decided it was time to call it a night. I pulled myself up onto my feet but I was barely half way through the well practiced routine before I felt Damon pulling me upright. We stood close together, his presence had scared away all animals for miles and so we stood there in the quiet of the night. We were completely alone.

"Well I am tired and starting to sober up." I stated it with a yawn and a slight stretch, I had no idea what time it was and I was amazed I was able to stay awake for so long. Damon leaned forward as if too kiss me before leaning right back on his heels eyebrow raise up into his hairline, I rolled my eyes at him before shoving him off balance. "Goodnight Damon." I called out to him as I walked in the direction of my own home.

"Sweet Dreams Anya, I know mine will be." was it just me or could I hear the wink in his voice? I started to smile once more and didn't stop. I reached my house with a grin, I locked up and got ready for bed with the same grin. In fact I was certain I feel into a deep sleep with the same grin playing at my lips but I knew the smile wouldn't last as I found myself dreaming of England again.

"Trevor, stop it!" I half shrieked as I laughed, his hands were on my waist were he gripped me in order to make me squeal with laughter. I slapped his hands away and moved off in my overly formal cream and gold dress. My hair was piled up in curls and I had taken care to ensure I looked as elegant as any other lady in the house, sadly Trevor being the torment he was, was ensuring that I looked a mess.

"You will get us both in trouble if Elijah hears us! Now stop being a pest and tell me what of their plans for the girl?" I asked returning to business and ensuring my irritating little friend did the same, Trevor was great as a friend and as my eyes and ears of the house. He sighed leaning against the wall next to me watching the party in the room before us. So many different humans of all good standing floated about properly to the music, each fair maiden here in search of a husband. In these parts husband hunting was a very serious business and one did not engage in anything that could damage ones chances of finding a well respected mate.

"Nothing is yet to change, I hear they are waiting for some kind of delivery from across the seas, something that the Master had placed somewhere safe. Perhaps that mysterious rock you have had me keeping a look out for." I made a noise of agreement as I pondered this, it must be the moonstone that he is having shipped over and when I couldn't locate it myself, I knew he had to have hidden somewhere. He was far too paranoid to have hidden it here. "If you don't mind me asking Miss Anya but why are you so interested in the Master's plans for Katarina?" Trevor's voice snapped me from my pondering. I gave him a small smile before telling him the blunt truth, I told him it simply because Rose and I knew him to be infatuated with the girl.

"Because Trevor I fear they intend to kill her."

I woke up from yet another weird dream of old England, this time however I was able to identity the time as being during the 15th Century and not the 18th as I had first thought, to the sound of my phone ringing, I glanced at the clock next to my bed fuck it was two in the afternoon already. I scrambled around in my bed for my mobile phone, where the hell did I leave it last night, in the pile of my clothes in the corner I spied the screen lighting up. I raced forward and to the pile pretty much diving on top of it as I fumbled with sleepy fingers to answer it.

"Hello?" I seemed to croak it out as a question, my voice was thick with a mixture of sleep and hangover.

"Good night last night?" laughed a familiar voice down the phone, I leaned back against my wardrobe, watching the sun dance across my legs where they lay splayed out beneath me.

"I wouldn't have answered if I knew you intend on ridiculing me. What do you want? I am pretty tired." I yawned half way through almost proving my point that was still tired, the sun caught my skin at such a good angle it almost seemed to glittered, suck on that Cullen, a few days ago Elena had suggested I read the Twilight novels for a laugh. I got about half way through before giving up, they were far too sickly sweet and so far from the truth it was unreal. Though it did give me immense pleasure laughing at the hilarious image of Damon strolling about town as a walking disco ball.

"Straight to the point as always, someone would think you didn't enjoy our cha-"

"Damon." I warned, groaning into the phone the last thing I needed was for him to go off on one of his long sarcastic rants.

"I have just come from Elena's, it would appear the boy wonder isn't adjusting back to his old lifestyle very well." His voice was now serious, poor Stefan had been having some trouble since Elena had given him some of her blood to allow him to fight off Fredrick's attack. He had been exercising and drinking constantly since then, it had caused suspicion in Rick, Damon and I but until now Elena had insisted Stefan would be alright. So we left it alone, if he was able to detox once he could do it again surely.

"Perhaps your taunting him is the cause." I suggested half joking in the hope that this was Elena's complaint and nothing more serious had happened yet.

"No, he almost lost it last night." I took a deep breath processing what Damon was saying and it wasn't good. I needed to help Stefan, there was one way that I was sure I could help, I could take on his hunger it would mean becoming a very erratic and dangerous person for a while but without the urge to down human blood I would be a lot more manageable than Stefan.

"Damon, take him to me I think I can help. Bring him here and this can all be sorted, I think." I spoke quickly as I darted to my feet and began searching for clean clothes. I had done a load of laundry the other day, so I was certain I had fresh old favourites kicking about in my drawers.

"Don't be so stupid, I will handle this. For now we leave him, like I told Elena all you have ever seen is good Stefan, in control Stefan, Stefan fighting his inner Damon." His voice was very stern and I knew there was no budging him on his decision and I found myself giggling at his analogy of Stefan's inner Vampire as his Inner 'Damon'. "Anyway, I am outside your house." With that he clicked the phone shut and I was left groaning in defeat.

I glanced in the mirror, I looked rough. What was the expression Rick used, rough as a badgers arse? Yeah well that is how bad I looked. My hair was ruffed up on the top of my head and bags had appeared under my eyes, I looked dead. I was far too pale compared to how I was normally and a nights heavy drinking had taken its toll. I dipped into the bathroom quickly and drank three glasses of water, thank god it had worked. It had refreshed the skin in my face so I didn't look like the walking dead, I smoothed my hair quickly before skipping down the stairs. It was only Damon so I didn't care too much about greeting him in my shorts and a baggy t-shirt. Don't get me wrong I still didn't look amazing or at all acceptable, I just no longer looked like a zombie. I skidded slightly at the base of the stairs as I jumped down the last few so I could get to the door quicker, I could already hear his impatient pacing back and forth. When I swung it open I was greeted by classic Damon, dark jeans, dark shirt and a leather jacket. He looked stunned at my appearance and rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"Okay, I know how bad I look, no need to stare" I scorned him as he continued to look at me in disbelief. I moved uneasily from side to side, he wouldn't stop staring and it was beginning to make me feel nervous. His mouth gapped slightly as if he intended on speaking but had lost track of what it was he wanted to say. Jeez I didn't think I looked that bad. "Damon? You wanted something?" I coughed it out and he snapped his attention back up to my face. He shook off some kind of thought before leaning on my doorframe too speak.

"Yes, can I come inside?" as he spoke his eyebrows seemed to jump about suggestively. This is a conversation we had been having repeatedly for the last few days, he wanted the free access to my house but I knew better than to invite him in, if the Others were too appear and out of fear he turned against me I needed the safety of my own home secure and if Damon had been invited in he could drag me outside in order to hand me over. So for now, until I was confident that he wouldn't betray me when things got sketchy, he couldn't be invited in.

"We have gone over this, I may invite you in at some point but for now you can't come in." He sighed deeply and rolled those ice blue eyes like a defiant child. With a gentle push at his shoulder I moved outside and sat down on my front steps, he moved repeating my action and sat beside me. I stared off into the distance, the rich turquoise grass of my front lawn "Now seriously what did you want?"

"Believe it or not I came to just enjoy your company." He seemed to laugh almost to himself, taken back by his own appearance at my house. As much as we had been hanging out the past few days Rick still wasn't happy about this friendship and he was arriving soon to drop off the dress he had been collecting from Mark for me. Mark at last had been calling regularly at eleven thirty each night so far, it was so good to have him just to talk to about absolutely nothing of importance, he had been keeping me updated on The Elders strange behaviour they had been sending scouts out more and more frequently. They were looking for something. A chain reaction was starting off and they knew it, there was only a small matter of time before the whole thing snowballed and I was forced into the centre of whatever was coming.

"Well, saying I do believe you, it will have to be short lived as Rick is on his way over with my dress for this evening's festive occasion. Which means you will have to leave, seen as things are still about sore between you both." My hands went up to rub the sore spot on my neck, I had sleep in a weird drunken position and it had grown stiff.

"Here let me." Damons brushed my own hands away and began to rub at the sore spot on my neck that I had been nursing only moments before. "Now, Anya. Something has been troubling me." oh man that felt good, his hands were cool against my skin and he moved skilfully to relax the muscles with his light fingers. Words of wonderment moved freely some from my lips as I urged him to continue on.

"You, know quite a bit about myself. About the love of my existence, my once grand master plan and about dear sweet St. Stefan and in return you have told me nothing about you." Crap, I knew this would come soon enough, I groaned loudly, I had been hoping it wouldn't happen for a while but then again Damon exceeded all expectations in looks and personality.

"Damon, come on my life is so boring. There is nothing to talk about, you have a centuries worth of stories on me." It was shot in the dark, making my voice sound pathetic and self conscious, trying to pass my life off as boring and uneventful, when the truth of the matter was out of the two of us I led the most exciting life.

"I don't even know your last name." he countered, as he continued to massage my poor neck. I felt guilty as this would mean I couldn't by pass this and I would have to lie because simply I didn't have a last name. The Elders didn't give me one. A first name yes because well that was needed, a name Mark later shortened to Anya but they never gave me a last name. I could use Rick's last name but if Damon chose to check up on me he would come up blank, so I decided to use the last name Whitmore, it was the last name we had used in Miami when I attended school. So at least if he did run a check something would come up.

"You never asked me what my last name was before now. It's Whitmore by the way." I turned to face him smiling up at him but I hadn't realised how close we really were. A small blush filled my cheeks and I turned away staring out into the woods, that is when I saw him. Traces of déjà vu slammed against me, I knew him, I didn't know how but I did. I got up immediately and started towards the tree line without another word. But just as my feet touched the rocky path of my driveway, the man lifted his hand and wagged one finger at me as if to say no, there was something about him that caused me to stop as he had instructed. I was more curious than scared. My eyes traced his body, tall and lean, a caramel hair that fell about the same length as Damons and one name that jumped to the front of my mind. Elijah.

The man from my dream this morning, the one I told my companion Trevor would scorn us if he caught us mucking about outside some grand party. So if he was real and he was here did that mean my dreams were old memories? They had happened? But they couldn't have, I was only twenty two years old, killed at nineteen and reawakened. To my memory I had only been alive three years. Three years of memories was all I had, so why did I dream of the 15th century, of mansions made of stone and lit by candles. Why did I dream of some disturbing murder plot? Who was Katarina but more importantly where did I fit into all of this. I held the honey gaze of Elijah who seemed equally as interested in me. As quickly as he had appeared he was gone.

"Anya? What is it?" Damon's worried tone caused me to tear my eyes away from the tree line, had I imagined it?

"Nothing I thought I heard Rick's car. Anyway-"I paused I needed to divert the conversation from me to something else, I ran back up the steps quickly and sat back down at on the porch. "I was about to ask you something." Damon was certainly not satisfied with my strange actions or my even weirder explanation for them but joined me on the top step regardless, swinging his hand in the universal signal for continuing.

"Now tonight, according to Rick at least, will be the first time a lot of Mystic Falls' high flyers will be introduced to me and I should probably try and make a good impression, so I was thinking you could help me."

"What makes you think I would be of any help, I am a dick after all." He smirked his signature smirk, one that I had found myself beginning to grow attached too, it really drew you in and captured your attention.

"Because you sir have charmed the women of Mystic Falls and could really help win them round for me. Plus Rick will be spending the evening schmoozing Jenna Somers no doubt" Damon laughed loudly at my word choice and leaned back onto his own hands stretching out his legs in front of him as he eyed me up carefully.

"I shall do what I can but I want something from you in return." His voice sent chills down my spine at the possible meanings of his words. Was he going to try to get me killed? Force me into answering questions? Or seduce me? did I want him to seduce me? I really did asked far too many questions.

"Sure as long as its nothing illegal" I shoulder barged him as we laughed together, the distinct sound of Ricks car rolling up in our direction caused us both to stand up quickly, with a quick nod of understanding Damon blurred off in the direction of his house.

The sun was beginning to set by the time I began to get ready for the kick off party. I had sat myself down in front of a huge mirror that I had located in one of the other bedrooms, I tugged my fluffy dressing gown closer around me, the whole seeing Elijah thing had really shaken me and since then I had felt cold constantly. I shook my freshly washed and blow dried hair out and began separating the layers, clipping them on the top of my head. I had decided for this evenings event I would straighten my hair, something I did rarely because I was pretty lazy. As I began taming my long curls I couldn't help but drift off and attempt to make sense of the strange visions that I had been having lately.

Since being Mystic Falls I had began to have flashback to the Temple more and more frequently, I had also dreamt twice now of a different time but I am always present and each time so far I have been so sure on the facts, considering I wasn't very well versed on life in the 15th century I was begging to accept the possibility these were memories of a past life. After all my kind are regenerated and the name Anastasia means "resurrection, she who will rise again", so did this mean that though I didn't have firm memories of having been here before that I in fact had? That my creators had taken those memories from me to ensure a clean slate this time around. I would have to have this out with Mark when he called later but if I was right then this meant I was even more of freak than I first thought. I couldn't help but wonder why the memories had started to resurface again, if that's what they were of course, was it because of the company I had been keeping? Or maybe its because whatever was going on here, right now, was all leading to the war that The Elders have been preparing me for from the moment they found me? I grew even colder at the thought; this seemingly peaceful town couldn't be the centre of whatever war was coming. No.

Through my brooding I had managed to finish off my hair and took to my makeup, my mind however still refused to stay on task but this time took me to the Salvatores in my train of thought. Both brothers had loved a girl by the name of Katherine in 1864, I had been dreaming of a girl named Katarina- the name being a cognate of Katherine- who lived in the 15th century in England. I was trying to protect her from something, someone was trying to kill her and I was fighting to save her. Katherine Pierce stayed with the Salvatores for refuge because she was an 'orphan', she later on revealed to Damon she was a Vampire and then turned the brothers. Damon told me, she was a good three hundred and seventy years old when he met her, 1864 minus three hundred and seventy takes us back to roughly 1489- the 15th century funnily enough. Could it really be possible that the girl that I dreamt of was the same girl that turned the Salvatores? If ,and I mean a big if, I was right then my dreams could have been triggered by the presence of Damon and Stefan but there was far to many coincidences for it too be real. It couldn't honestly be fate that I ended up here in the town where Damon and Stefan lived, who had been turned by Katherine, who was potentially Katarina a girl that I tried to save in a past life. No it couldn't be true because fate just didn't work that way but then again Mark had picked this town, Mark works for The Elders, this could all have very well been planned. So if this was true, then was I suppose to use the Salvatores in order to find Katherine so I could protect her from whatever it was that wanted to kill her the last time?

I took a deep breath and pushed my outrageous thoughts to the back of my mind and decided it was time for me to get into the dress Mark had sent for me. My make up was very simple and classical. Black eyeliner in the style that Audrey Hepburn was seen to wear, mascara and a purple tinged red for my lips, it was a sweet and simple makeup choice. I moved over to the bed wear I had laid out my dress, it was a very simple black baby doll style dress, I pulled it on and slid my feet into very simple black heels. Everything was described as 'simple' I had noted and laughed at how boring I truly was. Moving back to the mirror I clipped a very small section of my hair back with a diamond butterfly clip, it merely held back a small selection of my hairs top layer and was purely decorative. I looked kind of good and through all the doom and gloom that surrounded my thoughts, the idea of being able to feel safe and protected tonight made me give a small smile. I tried to smile again but I just couldn't force it, I stood there trying to smile because I needed to be able to pretend that tonight I was just your average little witch. I wasn't a resurrected soul, I wasn't this stupid girl putting everyone who had been kind to her in danger. I all but ran out the house and into my car, still trying to smile.

I arrived later than I had promised Rick I would, so when I finally made into the overly grand home of the Lockwoods I headed straight to find him. I moved through the crowds ignoring the greetings of strangers, the perverse stares of teenagers and moved into the bar area. I hovered in the corridor as I could see all my new friends enjoying themselves; I stopped watching just for a moment letting my powers slip allowing me to feel their joy. Lately I had been able to have better control of myself, I could shut away the empathy part of me so I didn't have to feel everyone else emotions, their physical pain, it was a gift but at times like now I missed. The nervous happiness of Rick and Jenna as they shared a drink was reminiscent of two nervous teenagers, the laughter of Elena and Matt as they danced about the floor was refreshing compared to my earlier gloom and the drunken joy of Stefan was surprisingly and caused a laugh to slip from my own lips. My hand flew up to catch the laugh and I found my fingers tracing my smile, see I knew I could get a real one eventually, out of the corner of my eye I could see Damon awkwardly watching as some tall blonde, who I remembered as Sherriff Forbes, tell Jeremy Gilbert that they had no new news in reference to Vicki Donovan's mysterious death. Upon spying me Damon made his excuses and made his way over to me. I chewed my lip nervously as I remembered that if he was kind enough to help me out tonight, I owed him something in return. I wasn't nervous encase it was dangerous but because I liked the idea of him getting me into something ridiculous and stupid. I liked the idea of Damon.

"Well, well, Whitmore. Who knew you looked this good underneath all that tomboy attire." He teased me as he grew closer. He looked jaw dropingly stunning in a black suit, he seemed so relaxed in this formal occasion but then again he had been born in a time or proper behaviour.

"I take it I am acceptable to be seen with you tonight then?" My eyebrow lifted up and his mouth tilted up into a half smile. There was something about him that made me smile all the time, made me laugh constantly and I knew soon I would have to draw back because if he kept being himself I would get too close. Well I knew the routine to protect him well enough, compel him to forget we had ever shared a moment and perhaps we could stay friends but I feared Damon was too strong and he would break my resolve. So this time, if it came down to it, I will back off completely. I will all but run from this town.

"I guess you are. Shall we?" he offered me his arm and I took it as he moved me through the corridor and into the bar area. I couldn't look at him as we walked for fear of what I would do, being so close to him and I knew this was heading towards disaster, so I took to looking around the room. It was strangely lively in this area of the house, I couldn't quite believe it, as I watched Stefan work the room. He looked like he was having so much fun, I let go of Damons arm and walked over to join Stefan on the dance floor. I felt the shock at my action, the jealousy of leaving for Stefan and in that moment I felt happy. I would let us enjoy tonight but after this it was goodbye.

With Stefan no words were needed, as soon as he seen me he breathed a drunken hello and began to dance with me. From the moment we began to dance some strange mixture of formal dancing and informal, I laughed, I made an array of strange faces at Stefan which he only mirrored back at me. He reached out toward me and I placed my hand into his, he pulled me into his chest and dipped me before pulling me back up right, dancing well like a dad as he moved embarrassingly in front of me. He was a terrible dancer but I kind of had a feeling he was doing on purpose, so I joined him as he rolled his shoulders in the worst dance move ever. Damon had taken residence at the bar with Elena, in very deep and emotional conversation judging by the reduced amount of his frequent little eyebrow dance. My hand flew to my face in an effort to hide as I grew mortified at the dance moves Stefan was currently pulling, people had began to stop to watch him and I edged back into the crowd slightly, not wanting to be associated with him but Stefan had other plans as he followed me dancing in a manner I could only describe as sleazy old man.

"Anya, have I embarrassed you? You aren't impressed by these moves?" Stefan winked, cackling away to himself. I was impressed by his confidence and how much fun he was having despite his cravings. I had turned off my empathy as soon as we began to dance and let my joy be my own, that and I didn't want to feel Stefan's pain. If I stayed with him much longer I would get involved which I had told Damon I wouldn't, so I decided to pawn him off on Elena for some peace of mind.

"Oh I am impressed, so impressed in fact maybe you should go show Elena how well you move." And with that he shimmed, actually shimmed, backwards to the bar where he offered Elena his hand and twirled her onto the dance floor. I walked shaking my head with humour as I took up Elena's position at the bar next to Damon. I ordered two drinks one for each of us, Damon gave a half smile at the unspoken action I had taken but as I opened my mouth to speak to Damon I was interrupted by voice behind me.

"Two scotches? Must have been a rough day". I turned to face the man I recognized to be Jonathan Gilbert I offered him a smile as Damon stiffened on my left.

"Well it did take a lot of effort to be able to look this fantastic."I answered jokingly trying to get rid of him as I turned back around but it didn't work, I remained staring at a angry Damon as John Gilbert continued to speak.

"Somehow I don't believe that, I am John by the way and you would be?" I glanced back towards him and he offered me his hand, I shook it gently. I was getting some off vibes from this guy and I instantly recognised the ring he wore on his hand, after all I had given Rick an identical one. So he knew about Vampires and the supernatural mysteries of the world. Mason had mentioned he was well versed in, I just didn't think he would be this informed. The question now was did he know about me? Very few people did but nothing in this town would surprise me anymore.

"Anya. I am Alaric Saltzman's niece and this is my friend Damon Salvatore." I moved my hand in the direction of Damon; he was itching to have the chance to talk to John himself. Damon gave him a nod as he sipped on the scotch I had ordered for him before rolling his eyes at me with a small wink at the end. I shook my head repressing yet another laugh, if this kept up the one dimple on my right cheek would become permanent.

"Just friends? Well it would seem Mr. Salvatore you have been quite foolish, a girl this beautiful shouldn't be left on the market." Normally at a compliment like that I would have blushed but instead I found myself cringing and I had described Stefan's dancing as sleazy. I decided I would take the sarcastic and blunt route as my way of answering, whoever John was, I didn't like him. Now how would I counter his comment? Tell him I wasn't actually single? But if he checked I would look sad, I could make out that I liked to play the field but that's when the best answer occurred to me. John and Damon seemed to already dislike one another. A slightly malicious grin crept up the sides of my face.

"Well actually Mr. Gilbert, Damon and I do share a very intimate relationship but I felt it improper to divulge our intense sexual relationship during a first meeting but since you asked, he is dynamite in bed." Sliding slowly off my stool and grabbing my scotch, I leant forward placing a kiss on Damon's cheek. "I will see you later stud." I left Damon alone with John and hoped to god he would behave. He watched me go and laughed his own dark laugh. Once I reached the door I glanced over my shoulder to see both men heading towards the balcony.

I was in trouble. I liked Damon Salvatore. I didn't like anyone as more than a friend. Honestly I think I would rather face the Others right about now, than let Damon get too me. I was falling deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole.

**A/N: Think you could do me a quick review? Please? For Damon? ;) **


	9. Chapter 9: Losing Control

**A/N: Okay here is the next update and I do apologize as not very much happens really, some more Damon and Anya moments. John Gilberts secrets are revealed just a little, thought the truth of Katherine and Elena is still unknown to Anya. Just a word of warning though, the next chapter I upload will be mainly focusing on Anya and her past. Before Isobel appears I want a little bit more of her murky past to make some more sense, though I still wont tell you anything too much, just a few more teasers ;) but the end of the next chapter should link up nicely to the end of 'Miss Mystic Falls' where the way in which Stefan and Amber plays out is very different and who knows, maybe Anya might just tell Stefan what she is. Or at least begin too.**

**Okay well I have rambled enough, please read and review. Oh and I own nothing apart from Anya. =] **

It didn't take long for a perfectly lovely evening to slide into disaster, I couldn't believe my eyes as I watched Rick pull Tyler off of Matt, where he had previously been punching and chocking Matt. Tyler stood slightly back, with a look of shock on his own face as if he hadn't quite realised what he had done, when his dark eyes met my own I couldn't help but shake my head in disappointment. This was crazy even for Mystic Falls standards, Kelly the Cougar Donovan had been making out with Tyler and quite rightly Matt had kicked off. To be perfectly honest when I see it I wanted to kick off myself.

I couldn't look at Kelly as she called out at me for help, she has injured her arm by accident in the mess that was the fight between her son and his best friend. I wanted to help her but at the same time I couldn't look at her out of disgust; I hated this part of me. The need to help others was a real bitch sometimes, taking a deep breath I moved over to kneel beside Kelly checking out the cut on her arm. It wasn't too bad, mostly superficial, she would be okay at least but if only I could say the same about her relationship with Matt. This past week he was been so sweet, stopping to talk to me every time he seen me, asking casual questions about how I was settling in. it was beyond me how Kelly of all people could have spawned Matt, clearly his father's genes were much more dominant than his mothers. Mayor Lockwood was buzzing about ushering everyone back inside, the less people who seen his son acting so common the better. The Mayor was a strange mixture of emotion currently, I could sense that he was ashamed of his son fro acting so rudely but at the same time proud that he was exerting his dominance; a typical macho male, a typical wolf.

Damon stormed past the gathered group in some sort of strange determined action, it took all I had not to run after him to try and calm him down but I was stuck trying to help Kelly, which would be so much easier if she wasn't so drunk. Seriously the grown woman was gripping at me crying on my arm, I looked over to Rick who merely held his hands up backing away indicating I was on my own with this one. I let a pathetic sigh that was also groan out into the air and it seemed to attract the attention of Stefan as he moved to no doubt followed Damon.

"Mrs Donovan, are you alright?" Stefan asked, his face seemed to grow dark as he registered the cut and then as almost as If he were in a trance he reached out and brushed his fingers over her cut, her crimson blood covered his pale fingers and I prepared myself for a fight. My right leg bent up and became angled so if need be I could leap forward and tackle Stefan but I didn't need too. As his control slipped Stefan made his excuses and left quickly. Apologizing profusely to Kelly as Mrs. Lockwood and a doctor of sorts arrived to see to Kelly's arm, I got up and chased after Stefan.

I felt like I had been moving through the house in circles, never being able to find my way out the door and the party was far too full for me to be able to concentrate on just Stefan's emotions. I couldn't even try to grab at his aurora, it was different than before considering I couldn't see it anywhere in my mind, Stefan was losing it and so everything about him was beginning to change. I caught a glimpse of Stefan's aurora but as I suspected it was changing into a crimson colour with his hunger and the normal yellow colour was flickering in and out. I wanted to cry out as both colours vanished, he had gone out of range, he must have run off somewhere. The purple and black light I knew to be Damon sung out to me and I raced forward to him, he was leaning against a wall, staring forward with disbelief as John Gilbert gave some kind of speech at the party. I latched onto Damon's arm, fear coursing through me at the possible consequences of Stefan running off.

"Damon, I need you to help me." He snapped his head round to look at me so quickly I feared he could have snapped his neck at the force, his eyes locked with the fear in my own and his mirrored disbelief. "Stefan has ran off and I can't sense him anywhere, we need to go look for him." I turned on my heel towards where I hoped the door was, I tugged at Damons suit jacket sleeve trying to get him to come too but I only felt myself being pulled back to stand in front of him. He placed his hands on either side of my face.

"Stay still for two seconds and listen to me, being around this many people will be difficult for Stefan, he will have just gone home to snack on some puppies. Leave him be Anya." He looked at me so carefully, held my face so gentle, it made me feel like I was made of the most delicate rice paper. One movement too quick and I would shatter. He let his hands dropped down to his sides and returned to watching John Gilbert's speech.

"Fine, I will. Now can you tell me what is bothering you?" I leaned up resting my hand on his shoulder as I spoke into his ear, no doubt this conversation would be supernatural and I didn't want too many people hearing us. That is what I told myself at least. He seemed to smile but it was gone before I could really register it as a smile.

"After you left me at the bar- oh and believe me, we will be getting back to that little speech of yours later," he paused as he turned round slightly to wink at me as I cringed before moving back to face out into the room. "I took little Jonathan Gilbert out to the balcony and snapped his neck-"

"You clearly didn't do a very good job because he looks perfectly alive to me." I teased in his ear and I decided to share my earlier thoughts on John Gilbert and his ring. "But seriously, how did you not notice that he is wearing a ring identical to Ricks? It was one of the first things I registered."

"Well Miss Marple why didn't you tell me before I killed him?" Damon's voice to others sounded angry but his shoulders were relaxed so I knew he was joking again.

"Sorry but I didn't think you planned on killing him, considered it noted down for next time." I shook my head laughing as I moved to lean against the opposite side of the doorframe from Damon. He was so dangerous, so wrong for me to be around and yet here I was. We were opposites, in everyway. I was white light and he was black, yet we moved towards each other like magnets. " He probably knows a lot more than her should, you know? About Isobel, Katherine and whatever it is that's going on around here." My voice was light and wandering as I voiced my thoughts out loud in order to share them with Damon. It would be nice to get some help on this one, maybe win round his trust a little more.

"Perhaps we should have a word with him, only this time he will remain dead." He spat it out with venom and I couldn't help the bubbling laugh that over took me. Damon merely seemed to snap out of his murderous thoughts to stare at me as if I was the mad one, which of course only made me laugh more. I leant forward placing my hands on my knees as I wheezed out my laugh, my eyes began to water and I hoped my make up wouldn't run. I managed to control my breathing and contain my laughter as I looked up at Damon.

"I tell you what, give me and Johnny boy five minutes and I will get us some answers. You know what, I will even let him live." I smiled as I pushed up into a full standing height, I caught the image of John heading outside and moved to follow him, weaving through the crowds in an effort to lose Damon.

Of course it was pointless, his hand reached out and slipped round my waist as he joined me in my pursuit of Jonathan Gilbert. I watches his tuft of blonde hair escape outside and I changed my direction, pulling Damon along with me. The whispers of people as we passed by, what a lovely couple we were, a very handsome couple, Damon was a notorious playboy, what would Alaric say about this? Far too many different opinions bombarded me as we made out way outside. Some were much more sexual and jealous than others, some were nice and tame; those were the ones I let sink into my mind. The cool breeze of outside was damp with moisture and I chewed my lip out of anticipation as I neared Jonathan Gilbert, I called out to him and he had obviously known we were following him as he veered off slightly into a darker area of the parking lot with fewer people, before turning to face us. I leant up on my tiptoes slightly to whisper in Damon's ear because I had a plan.

"Cover me." was all I whispered before I wriggled out of Damons gripped and jogged the rest of the way towards John. He looked completely intrigued at my approach and apparent joy, I made sure that everything about me looked inviting, a soft smile, the gentle voice I used to call out to him. To John Gilbert there was nothing dangerous about me at all, nothing odd or peculiar at all.

"Can I have a quick word?" I smiled my sweetest smile, which he only returned with sleaze filled one of his own. I didn't give him as chance to reply as pushed him back against a near by car, I moved to block any movement he hand planned, I placed my hand on his chest and by exerting minable effort I held him against the car. His face was a mixture of shock, panic and complete interest. I was something he couldn't quite figure out, I could feel the curiosity pouring out of his every pore. My free hand traced a trail up his chest before forcing his chin up so his eye line was in my own, I was about to scare the hell out of John.

"Now that I have your attention, I am just going to borrow this real quick." I finished with another sweet smile and a confident quirk of the eyebrow, it was a big risk letting Damon see me like this, exerting strength that I shouldn't have but hadn't he seen it all before? How fast I could moved, how strong I was, the special little things tat told him I was no witch. But all those things he had been ignoring for now at least in front of me, I wasn't so stupid though, I knew he had been running research on me in the background. Checking my names out, asking old acquaintances what they knew of Special Witches. He wouldn't get close of course, The Elders had killed everyone who knew of my existence, The Others being the exception to the rule but I didn't need to worry about them telling Damon, they were an exclusive club even more so than The Elders.

"Borrow what exactly?" he spat at me, literally.

"Your memories." With that I closed my eyes and John whimpered in my ear. A dozen images flashed din my mind, the first noticeable one was the tomb Vampires, mixed with images of Elena but there was something off about her. She didn't feel like Elena, yeah it was her I was sure of it except her hair fell down in great ringlets but she felt devious, cruel and selfish. I didn't know who it was but it wasn't Elena. Didn't I get a similar feeling when we first met in the grill? That I had seen her before but she wasn't the same person? Of that even made sense. I decided to return to the task at hand, next was of some kind of device, the panic and pain that it would cause as it showed me clumsy images of people passing out because they were so vague I knew they weren't memories but thoughts of what the device could do. Finally the image that caused me to reel back was one of Isobel, actually several of Isobel spread out from a pregnant teenager to much more present day, images of her a few days ago in fact. I let him go and he slummed down against the car, where he proceeded to moan as he gripped his head. It wasn't a pleasant thing to have secrets pulled from your mind, the side effect afterwards felt similar to a hangover according to Mark, whom I often practised this on.

"You sure know a hell of a lot for someone who just got back in town Mr Gilbert." I leaned back against the car opposite where I'd pinned him, Damon was already settled next to me comfortably.

"More than you can imagine but not as much as I first thought, it would seem you slipped through the cracks Anya. A mystery I can assure you I will solve." He clumsily pulled himself up into a standing position opposite my own. "My knowledge of this town goes far beyond anything that you, the council, or even Damon here knows. When you pair first came out here I was expecting some clever high-speed snatch ring vamp kill move in order to rid you of your problem, which would only have meant that everything I know would have gone straight to the council, including the fascinating little tale of the original Salvatore brothers and their present day return to Mystic Falls but of course now I see that wasn't what you at planned at all, at least not you Miss Anya." He smirked as he began to walk away slowly before turning back towards us at the rear end of the cars. He pointed at me before continuing. "No you, you are much smarter than you anyone else in this sleepy little town."

"Where did you get the ring John?" I asked switching the conversation from me back to him.

"I inherited one, my brother Gray the other, in fact I believe your charming Uncle is sporting my one after it was stolen from me but then with Isobel nothing is surprising anymore." Ah the ring, okay well I hadn't actually stolen it from him personally, Mark had. I told him I wanted to protect my Uncle and he gave me the means to do it, if John and Isobel knew each other it would explain her fifty million questions as to wear I got the ring in the first place. She never seemed satisfied by my simple "meh I found it."

"So you did know her." Damon stated bored on my right, he was clearly agitated at the fact he didn't know what was going on but kept quiet and remained on my side regardless.

"Who do you think sent her your way when she wanted to become a vampire?" He registered my look of pure, unaltered rage on my face with sparked him to continue onwards. "I give my deepest apologies to you and your Uncle, Anya but I am as guilty as charged. Come on you didn't honestly think she found you by accident Damon? Or where you just hoping Katherine Peirce had sent her?" John laughed at his own little dig at Damon, he knew how to hit him right where it hurt. He was as spiteful and vindictive as the version of Elena that danced in his mind.

"How do you know about Katherine?" Damon had taken John's bait and had moved quickly to stand in front of him.

"How do I know anything Damon? Hm?" I placed my own small but sturdy frame between the two men as they stared each other out. John reached down a traced a ghostly touch on my cheek. "They are going to be so interested to hear about you. Pleasure to meet you both but I must be going."

And with that John Gilbert walked away, I turned and wrapped my arms around Damon for some comfort. There was something about the way he touched me and told me _they_ would be interested to head about me, made me feel scared. I didn't want to ever find out who they were. Damons on arms found their way around my waist as I stared after John. He was walking away, so full of himself, the cat who had got the cream. Damon smelt fantastic and it offered a pleasant distraction just to stand there resting into him, breathing him in, being surrounded by him. I guess it was time to catch him up to date with what I had found out. I sighed and shuffled myself in his arms so I was much more comfortable before speaking.

"His mind is so dark and guarded you know. Don't get me wrong he is a walk in the park compared to some minds I have seen but there is something off about John Gilbert. I don't like him." I murmured in a voice so small that if Damon wasn't a Vampire I doubted he would have been able to hear me but he rubbed a hand up and down my arm soothingly.

"I don't think anybody does. Did you get anything useful from him?" He asked in a voice that was emotionless. The dig about Katherine had sent Damon into a broody mood that rivalled Stefan's.

"Mostly just blurred up pictures, there were a few of interest though. Recent images of Isobel, they were discussing some kind of plan. Then there was pictures of the tomb Vampires and-" I leaned back a little so I could look up into Damons eyes as I spoke the next part, the part that scared me the most. "I seen Elena, only it wasn't Elena, it didn't feel like Elena. The person felt cruel and vindictive, I just don't know how to describe it Damon. It wasn't Elena but at the same time it was". Damon took a step back slowly, separating us, before reaching for my hand. He led me towards my own car and nothing else was said on the matter of John Gilbert and his memories.

We sat in a comfortable silence the whole time I was driving, I didn't know where he wanted us to go but I knew where I wanted to be. The car slivered down the black top road with ease as I headed in the direction my heart and mind was calling me. With each of Damons easy breaths I found myself growing calmer and calmer, how could one person make me feel like a complete mess but completely serene at the same time? Damon Salvatores hold over me was a puzzle that was for sure. I had made my decision, it wasn't an easy one, I would wait until I was sure Stefan was in a better state before I ended my friendship with Damon. There was nothing he could or would do to prevent it from happening. He had spent his life chasing after Katherine and if I decided to back out of this newly found friendship I doubted he would care. If this was true why did I find myself getting hung up on the little details of our friendship?

Neither of us was perfect or very good at this friendship business. We both made mistakes, took things too far, made a wrong turn here and there. In the past I was sure we had both made bad decisions, both mistreated, misplaced and misunderstood by those around us. Both of us acted confident to hide insecurity and pain. We were two of the same but simultaneously we were exact opposites based on what we were. Out of the two of us it was me who would have the hardest time letting go, I never let anyone in and without realizing I had begun to let Damon in. he didn't even know he was in, hell I didn't even know till I hugged onto him tonight. That one action was too intimate for me. I stopped the car outside the Boarding House and turned to look at Damon who just stared out of the window deep in thought. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside his head, what was it that had rendered him so quiet and speechless. I was a little bit nervous as to if he would be mad that despite him telling gm earlier to leave it and relax that I had brought us here so I could check on Stefan, pushing my worry aside I decided to speak anyway.

"I know you told me to leave it be but I am worried about Stefan, so you can do what you want but I am going in there to wait for him. I need to know he is alright Damon." He didn't move at all, he gave a weak smile that I could see only in his reflected image in the car window. Nothing. He didn't make any indication that he planned to move or speak. I sighed completely annoyed as I turned off the engine and got out of the car, my heels discarded in the back seat so it was easier to drive. The stones of their driveway were slightly sore against my feet but I was in such a foul mood now between John and Damon's pinning after Katherine, that I just stormed towards the house embracing the slight pain with each step. I could already tell Stefan wasn't there, I couldn't sense anyone but Damon and I for miles around. Swinging the stupidly grand door opened as I moved into the house, I dusted my feet off before padding through into the living room. I remembered where it was from when I staked Beth Anne. So much had changed since then. I had become good friends with both brothers and Elena too. Since that night, I had started to fit in and feel normal in this town.

I sat down beside the fire, it had been left on clearly but it was beginning to die. I waved my hand in front of it and breathed the smallest burst of power into the cinders. The fire burst gracefully into life, I let the warmth of it flames tickle my skin as I sat and waited for either Damon or Stefan. It didn't take too long for Damon to appear across the room where he proceeded to pour himself a glass of scotch but as soon as he was done he blurred out the room. So I just sat there and let myself feel the room. The cool wood against my bare legs, it was a traditional wooden floor and as I ran my fingers across all the little scratches and gouges in the floor, I found myself curious about the history of the house. Had it always belonged to the Salvatores? To Stefan? Or to Damon? The fire was fairly going by now and its heat expanded out into the house, finding it's way into each room and every hall way. It was weird the smell of this house, there was the sweet scotch and iron tinged scent of Damon and the delicate forest smell that was Stefan, well used to be Stefan. He had left the party a good while ago and I couldn't help but worry about him, something soft, like clothes hit the back of my head.

"Here. Put that on, instead of sitting about in your dress." Grunted Damon from behind me, I took the dark wash jeans in my hand and the plain black t-shirt. I gave him a small smile as I picked myself up off the floor clothes in hand. "You can change in my room." He walked slowly out of the living room and I followed like a little lost puppy, completely silent but lost in awe at just how stunning this house was. Everything looked so old as he lead me to his room, I was so caught up in admiring the great swords mounted on the walls I almost didn't hear him speak.

"You still owe me for helping make you irresistible to the ladies of Mystic Falls." His voice had returned to being dark with humour and I smiled at just how good it was to have him snapped from his retrieve. Butterflies assaulted my stomach again as I wondered what exactly Damon had planned for me, as pay back for his help this evening.

"Ah I was hoping you had forgotten about that." I admitted honestly as I stared at the back of his head, he stopped outside one a door before swinging it open. The room was nothing like I had suspected, the wall opposite the door was just one big window with a balcony bit outside, great brown and slightly golden curtains fell from the top of the window all the way to the floor and ran all the way along, they were open on either side for now but I imagine if you pulled them closed it would descend the room into darkness. Just nest the mirrors on the left was a large TV, I couldn't begin to imagine its size in inches, well I exaggerate probably about 48" to 50" but it was still very impressive. There was a Persian esque rug on the floor beneath a king-sized bed. The bed looked spectacular, big wooden and intricately carved in the deepest colour of wood. One metal bedside table with a glass lamp and the pile of twenty to thirty books as left at its base. A mirror that was as big as the wall lay slumped just along from the bed. On the opposite side of the bed resting on the wall was some kind of Victorian painting, of a man and woman, it wasn't what I expected to find in here at all.

The bed faced straight into the bathroom, a giant wet room is what it looked like, stone walls with a stand alone bathtub with elegant little feet on the base of it next to another window looking outside. The shower was on the back wall, with only a small ledge and a drain on the floor so the room didn't flood. There was a small enclave with candles placed inside it, towels were carefully placed on rail and I was amazed that Damon would be so house proud in his own room. The bed was even made with white cotton sheets that looked incredibly soft where as in my mind I picture a room that was very messy, black everywhere with satin sheets for seducing his victims. Maybe I didn't know Damon as well as I thought. I tore my eyes away from gazing at the room to find Damon leaning easily against the door frame, scotch glass now empty.

"I never forget and trust me, once your done changing I will be collecting." He gave me a wink before walking slowly down the hall.

I moved into the room cautiously at first before closing the door and sitting down on the edge of the bed just admiring the room till I was sure he was gone. I slipped quickly out of my dress and laid it out on the bed, I stood for a while in my underwear just staring at the clothes he had given me. They were clearly going to be too big but I couldn't sit about in y dress all night waiting for Stefan that was sure but whose clothes had he given me? His? Either way I would need a belt to keep these jeans up, I looked around the floor and sure enough lying on his cheaster drawers as a leather belt, I skipped across the room quickly snatching it up before dressing it an even faster pace than usual. I couldn't resist snooping about his room for signs of promiscuous activates but I cursed as there was none. Damon was such a bore, he cleaned up clearly after his amorous adventures. There was a gentle knock at the room door causing me to jump from looking beneath the bed, the door edged open slightly and in a run, jump action that was far too quick to even be Vampire I moved to stand in front of my dress on the bed. The door opened fully to reveal Damon looking curiously at me.

"Seen as you were taking so long, I have expected to find you naked in my bed," he walked forward smirking at me, a glass of blood in hand. He was really sexy, even with blood painted lips, he looked gorgeous.

"You wish you were that lucky but no I was looking for a belt, which as you can see I found." I tilted my head as I smiled up at him, he didn't even flinch as he moved behind me placing down his glass before moving to stand between me and the bed, I found myself smirking as I backed away from him. He only mimicked my steps walking forward, soon enough I ran out of room as my back hit against the wall. His eyes were a deep blue now, his face looked so cocky and confident, he looked good. he smelt good and I just stood there looking at him as he placed a hand one either side of my head leaning down to talk to me, his warm breath dancing across my face.

"Now about that favour.." he trailed off as he eyes bore into me, tracing across the features of my face, they went from staring straight into my soul to watching my lips seductively. I merely laughed uneasily in an effort to keep my cool, my heart sped up slightly of its own accord at his close proximity. His eyes snapped back up to mine as I laughed.

"You seem awfully confident that I won't hurt you because you do realise if I wanted I could project you straight through that great window over there and not even feel sorry." I decided I would ignore his idea of a favour and torment him a little, well flirt a little, I was quite literally flirting with death. He leaned closer dipping down to my ear, to whisper and I felt Goosebumps slide up my arm. This definitely wasn't just friendly behaviour.

"You seem awfully confident that I wont kill you." He pulled away and I don't know what he expected to see. Fear? Lust? Either way it wasn't what he expected when I laughed at him, the idea of him killing me was ridiculous. He couldn't do it if even if he wanted too, I was far too cleaver for that and I was the only friend he has in this town currently. He wouldn't kill me for now at least, I provided a welcome distraction from whatever was troubling him.

"You couldn't even if you wanted too." I whispered up at him, at my words he leant down.

"We'll see about that," he chuckled darkly doing his little sexy eyebrow move as he leaned down, his eyes fluttered shut with the action and I knew what came next. Damon was going to kiss me and I found my stupid brain asking yet more questions. Why me? Why now? Was it because of earlier? Ah my head hurt and I didn't have time to register what to do because I heard the front door click open indicating Stefan was home, so as Damon's lip neared my own. As they were a hairs breath apart, so close in fact that when I spoke our lips brush ever so slightly together, I stopped him by placing my hand on his chest.

"Stefans home." I spoke it softly before removing myself from that intimate little bubble and headed in the direction of Stefan's pacing footsteps. Damon could be heard laughing and cursing slightly behind me.

"You are such a tease!" He guffawed after me as I skipped down the stairs taking them two or three at a time, I was so happy and completely concerned for Stefan but as for feeling human, that moment with Damon couldn't have made me feel more human unless he had tried. sadly the intimate moment between Damon and I, the happiness it produced and the humanity in me it revealed; was cut short when I seen Stefan, pounding back a glass of blood left deliberately by Damon. I moved with lightening pace and took the glass from Stefan and cradled his face in my hands, I searched for something, anything that would prove to me he was going to be better. I searched for the words to convince him to let me help him but to do that I would have to reveal who and what I was. I would have to tell him the truth and ask him to keep my secret, was it far to ask so much of him when he is this badly in need of my help. Emerald eyes stared back into my own completely dazed and confused by my actions as I started weep. His pain was crushing at the shield around me as I let it slip, it slammed against me full force and I found that tears ram freely down my cheek. Stefan ripped himself away from my grip completely confused, he took in my appearance, dressed in Damon's clothes.

"Stefan, let me help you, I can see the need is stronger this time let me help." I pleaded with him as he backed further and further away.

"No, I am fine, just you and Damon leave me alone." He stuttered slightly trying to find a nice way to tell me to 'fuck off', well in putting it gentle he had succeeded. I wanted to scream at him and telling he was wrong, that he was being selfish, I needed to help him. He was denying me my nature, I needed to help people. He was the definition of someone in need and yet because he thought I was sleeping with Damon he wouldn't let me help, he was too hungry to bother listening to the truth Furiously I stormed out of the house, jumping in my car and driving home. Where I spent the night ignoring the phone calls, the knocks on the door and the angry pleas from Damon to explain what was going on. I slept restlessly as my body fought against sleep for fear of what news my dreams would bring, little did I know they would bring a terror.

The scarping sound of a blot being pulled from a lock jolted me awake, I scrambled as far back as the tiny room would allow me, the damp cellar wall chilled my skin as I cautiously waited for whoever was coming for me to reveal themselves. I had lost track of how long I had been down here, a few weeks at my last count but I could no longer see the sun light or any light for that matter, so time had become obsolete. They had thrown me away down here, locked away from all light because they knew the truth. It wasn't anything special that daylight provided to me, it held no magic but the more disillusioned from my surroundings they kept me the better chance they had of keeping me prisoner. A rat scurried its way along a damm puddle in a corner and I squirmed where I sat. I hated it here; it smelt like a sewer, there were the remains of past victims littered about the floor. I wanted to cry but at the same time I knew if I showed the slightest weakness they would gain the upper hand.

With constant guards on my door, never less than three of them, I knew there was little point in attempting to escape. Even if I did make it up and out of this god forsaken cell, I would only be confronted by over a hundred angry Vampires, I had robed them of their goal and they had planned to kill me for it at first. But their Master was a lot smarter than I had ever anticicpated. He had figured out the truth, I was no Vampire, my pretence had worked so well for so long. I had the strength and speed of their kind but he could sense the white light lingering within me. So as I was placed in front of him to be slaughter as a traitor to them all, for ruining their plans by helping Katarina escape. For setting up a clear cut route and plan for her. He revealed to them all the truth of what I was and they went wild, one of my kind here and captured. That alone was the greatest trophy any Vampire could wish for, so he had decided to keep me as a pet, despite defeating his master plan and getting Katarina to safety. You know even now as I sat here hungry and full of fear, I didn't regret helping her, it was after all why they sent me back, to be her guardian but it was foolish of me to think he hadn't been watching me carefully all this time. Next time I wouldn't be so stupid.

Light trickled into the room and I yearned to bask in its glory but instead I found myself looking up at Elijah. Typical for him to be sent to deliver my meals or perhaps this time it was another beating that was being dished out this time. He moved further into the room closing the door behind him, his footsteps echoing off the water infested hovel that was now my home. i forced myself not to look at him, he was sick and enjoyed inflicting cruelty upon me. He belonged to his Master's inner circle and would do anything for his approval. He knelt down before me and forced me to make eye contact with him. He brushed my filthy hair from my face as he spoke.

"Ah Anastasia, you have caused quite the stir you know. People from all over, Originals from all over, have come to gaze upon your beauty. You shall be the Master's greatest trophy even if you did deny him the honour of removing the curse himself." I closed my eyes as he spoke, more of them here? Surely it was time for me to just die, couldn't they put me out of my misery and kill me, I was already painfully thin now and weak with fatigue and hunger. Bruised and cut from the beatings, from the feedings. My blood seemed to rejuvenate the drinker, making them stronger than before, so each night I was gagged and bagged as they dragged me to be drank from by their wonderful Master.

"I do feel sorry though, that despite the kind words we exchanged, before you betrayed us of course, that you never once let me drink from you. The Master says you taste positively divine, like nothing he has ever tasted before. A taste that is completely unique." His traced where my artery lay with him clumsy fingers and I cringed further into the wall. There was nothing more painful and violating than having your blood drawn from you when you were not willing.

"Just one taste is all I ask," the sound of his fangs growing down out of his mouth, eerily clawed its way into my memories before he dove at my neck. Two points of fiery pain hit the shell that had become my body before the painful pulling began. Tears fell silently from my eyes as I put up no fight and let him have his way. Fighting back only gave them more pleasure. The pain filled very nerve ending and took over my brain. I wasn't supposed to be drank from. i braced myself against the wall as he fell into the same frenzy as his Master had the first time, scratching away the thin delicate layers of my skin, tearing my at my throat with his razor teeth. I was the first flower of spring, fragile and innocent, being mauled at by an angry lap dog.

I watched as the dream or memory, I wasn't quite sure which, played out in my mind and tried to jolt myself awake, the pain in the dream was real. I could feel it now though I knew I was completely alone and it was in my head I still tried to force myself awake. I found myself calling out for Damon in rushed, pain filled cries but if he answered I would never know. I kept calling out to him, I called out for Rick and I called out for Mark but nothing. Only the final sonnet of crickets echoed in my ears, was this how death would finally take me? I had survived battles with wolves, ran from The Others and the countless number of little excruciating little power jumps but what would finally get me was my own mind? It was kick in the teeth that was for sure. Dreams kept coming thick and fast and I couldn't bring myself to wake up, everything in me fought against it but something much more powerful pushed it away with a simple flick, throwing my resolve to the side like a pathetic rage doll. I was no match for this kind of power. I tried to grapple at my own light, only to be dumbfounded when I couldn't call upon it, that's when I recognized the enemy ravaging my mind and body.

"Its time you remembered what they took, you can't help anyone if you don't remember."

The voice of my captor and enemy controlling my mind rang out in the loudest silence I had ever heard, I let go and let them consume me. As the voice that command my mind, the enemy I had being trying to rid from my mind, the one exerting this pain upon me. Was my own soul.

**Please review and tell me if you hate it, or maybe you love it. =]**


	10. Chapter 10: Blood and Fire

**A/N: **** Okay here we go three memories of Anya's from her past and her speedy race to help Stefan. **

**I don't own anything but please review anyway. =] **

As I hung in the doorway watching her for a moment, Katarina was perched with her back to me staring out the window and judging by the sniffling noises I could hear she was crying. Only an hour prior she had been told of Klaus' plans for her, I twiddled the moonstone in my hand as continued to watch her. The rock moved smoothly between my fingertips. Her long dark hair fell in a large mess of curls similar to my own, except my own were much lighter with a slight reddish tinge to it, I called out to her and she turned round to face me her oval face sad and eyes brimming with yet more tears. I closed the door behind me and she rushed into my arms sobbing furiously. I stroked her back comfortingly, it was such a shame for the poor girl to be hunted as she was but I was here to protect her and as long as I walked this earth I would continue to do so, as I was bound to protect the Petrova Doppelganger. I pushed her back, smoothing the hair from her face as I whispered gentle words of comfort and watched her doe eyes quiver with emotion as I sat her on the bed. Taking her hands in my own I turned them over and placed the moonstone in them, she stared down at it in awe.

"Katarina it's time for you to leave, I went ahead and took this from the carriage, it shall reach the Manor any moment and they will realise it is missing. We must act quickly." I spoke in a low tone so only she would hear me, I had devised a plan that would keep her safe from harms way until I could find a way to take care of them, to stop the Master's plans. He was rumoured to be very vengeful and in his eyes everyone and everything is expendable, so there was no doubt when he heard of my deceit and Katarina's escape that he wouldn't just forgive and forget. He would go for blood, my blood. There would be an all out war and I doubted he would ever stop searching for Katarina.

"Now I want you wrapped the moonstone up and hide it on your person Katarina. I shall cause a diversion outside and I want you to slip into the woods. They will chase you Katarina but do not fear, I have given Trevor clear instructions on what to do, you shall make sure to run west in the woods to the cottage I showed you when I took you for our walks. Ask for help, ask to be let in, Rose should eventually give way and let you in." She nodded as she listened to me intently whispering things back under her breath as she committed them to memory. I hadn't told Rose of my plans or my true intentions for being here at all. She thought I was here for a new lease of life, I had told her what I was and she had been a good friend as she kept my secret as if it were her own. She would keep Katarina safe and probably plan to return her but as guilty as if felt about what I had planned, I would get Katarina to play Rose and use her selfishly. From in the top of my dress I removed a long jagged dagger and placed it in Katarina's icy white palm.

"Once in the cottage with Rose and Trevor, whom will no doubt follow you there, I wanted you to take this knife and try to kill yourself anyway possible." Her eyes became startled with fear, my hands fumbled about as I tried to calmer her down, with soothing actions. "Now, now there is no need to be scared. Once you have done that I am one hundred percent certain in the interests of self-preservation Rose will give you some of her blood to heal your wounds. After she has done that and left you alone again, I need you to take the rope I have placed in each room of that cottage and hang yourself. Remember how I showed you the way to tie a hangman's noose?" She nodded feebly as she continued to cry, she was usually very demanding but nothing scared Katarina more than the idea of losing her own life. We had been through this plan before, if she tried to kill herself any other way we risked the blood in her system healing her injuries instead of turning her. We had settled on her hanging herself as it was quick and mostly pain free.

"My dear sweet Katarina, after you have been turned you will need to feed on human blood as quickly as possible. I don't care how you do it but you must. Then you will wait for me for a period of one hour at the crossroads out of town and in the possibility I do not show up, I want you to run and never turn back. A boat is leaving in a week to the Americas and you will be on it do you-" The chattering of footsteps down the hall in this direction stopped our conversation, I held my finger up to my lips showing Katarina now was the time to be silent. They ran full pace past the room we occupied and down the stony corridor, meaning only one thing. The carriage had arrived. I had ran out of time and I couldn't waste any more of the precious time left going over the plan.

"We must leave now." I tugged on her hand and led her outside into the courtyard, I pointed over to the great wall and told her to hide there until I had distracted them all, she should slip away as soon as they turned to face me. I moved off in the direction of the carriage, all of the Manors' occupants had come outside just on the off chance they could catch a glimpse of the mysterious moonstone, a key factor in their Master's plans. I took in three deep breaths, well it was now or never, I stood facing the carriage as it pulled up, everyone fell silent and I reached my hand up, then with one small burst of white power and a swipe of the hand in the indicated direction I toppled the carriage over and it began to roll. Everyone turned to stare and some made a move to run, letting the power swell up slightly before blasting them all backwards with one great gust of wind. Everyone scrambled to get the carriages apparently contents safe, if only they knew I had compelled them to forget as I stole it only an hour ago and what they fought to protect was a rock from the pond in the garden. As people ran at me from all angles I glanced to the tree line, careful not to be caught looking, I saw the fast retreating form of Katarina as she raced to her freedom, completely unseen. I had done my job as her guardian, now it was time to fight for my own life.

The dream drifted away leaving me in some kind of black limbo, as I tried to force myself awake to no avail. Though my mind was conscious my body was not and I couldn't command it to move at all. So I let myself drift on this sea of darkness that was my own mind, recapping on what I had just seen. The first noticeable thing, that had completely blown my mind and fucked me side ways, was the fact Katarina- aka Katherine, of which I was now one hundred percent sure- was Elena's bloody double. Every single thing about them matched in terms of looks, they even had the same little sad face but their personalities were polar opposites. No wonder Elena had the Salvatore boys in such a tizzy, the girl they had both loved in 1864 had been reincarnated in the form of sweet little Elena Gilbert. I couldn't believe all the coincidences, not only was the girl I protected in 1864, Katherine Peirce reason for Damon's existence but I was the reason she had become a Vampire. So if I was Katherine's 'protector' during the 15th century did that mean I was suppose to find her again or to protect Elena her Doppelganger? After all in the dream, vision, whatever you want to call it, hadn't I referred to myself as guardian of the Petrova Doppelgangers? You know I didn't think it was possible for my life to be anymore of a mind fuck than it already was but yet again I had exceeded expectations. Apparently I haven't only lived once prior to my shiny new second life but my actual soul was older than that and I had lived in the 15th century as well. Wait, if Katherine lived in Mystic Falls during the same time as the tomb Vampires it would explain how that guy being tortured with Stefan knew of me. I mean I personally didn't know Katherine, to my own solid memories at least but I was sure she wouldn't have been the type to keep quiet about her bright and brilliant saviour, especially if she knew what I was. So that at least explained how he recognised me and narrowed down who had told him.

Pain began to singe my nerve endings, a loud sharp ringing noise bounced around my head, never ending only growing louder and higher in pitch as seconds crawled by. The pain was so intense that I couldn't even think of ways to describe or class it. It was like being burned in the earth's core but at the same time as if someone was trying to cryogenically freeze me. if I could move I knew my body was leap about as it tried to run from the pain, my heart would race so fast it made a cartoon style leap out of my chest. At the top of my lungs I cried out after Damon and for Rick, only stopping to whimper in agony in between. I lost track of how long the pain lasted this time, hours rolled pasted and I honestly had no idea what day it was anymore, as the pain continued to torment my body. Each time I would scream Damon's name with the most passion in the hope he was near by and would hear me but to no such luck. At least that's what I convinced myself of, that's why I called for him so fiercely. For the first time in what felt like a thousand years the pain began to ease but I was given no time to dwell with relief as I was pulled into another memory. This one however felt as if it was fresh, much more recent than the last. It felt so familiar as if I had seen it recently, an overwhelming sense of familiarity washed over me as déjà vu engulfed me.

As I lay in a dreamy haze of a deep relaxed sleep, the thumping sound of several sets of feet shuffling about woke me from dreaming about my latest celebrity crush. I groaned as I started through sleep covered eyes at the white wash of my ceiling. The feet continued to bombarded my ears with their rude thumping, I rolled over cursing as I pulled my duvet tighter around me, some people just didn't respect that I had to get up early to drive into uni in the morning. Nobody cared that if I didn't get a peaceful nights sleep I was going to kill someone. To be fair it was probably just my parents wrestling to get my little brother Calum back to bed, he was only four and like everyone else his age he had been plagued with excited insomnia. The world outside his room was much more appealing than going to sleep, even if it was just my parents sat watching TV that was far cooler than sleep. I leant up on my elbows and glanced to my left at the digital clock, exactly midnight, the witching hour how spooky. I laughed shaking my head as I settled back down in bed. Professor Cannon, my favourite English Lit lecturer had gone on this massive occult rant because told was the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year and apparently when all kind of evil would come creeping out of its hovel to reek havoc upon the innocent. It was all stupid anyway, honestly who believed in Witches and Vampires anyway? Not me.

There was a loud crash down the hall and I lay listening for a moment, thinking of evil had given me a little bit of a fright. I half smiled trying to convince myself it wasn't that bad, maybe Calum had tried to pee in Dad's closet again. It was amazing how much they did for both of us and how much they put up with; after all biologically we weren't even theirs. They adopted me nineteen years ago when I was just a baby and Calum was adopted as a baby four years ago, they had left a substantial age gap between us both so they could test the waters and see if they could actually handle me as a teenager. Clearly I had passed the test or rather they did, as now we were all one big happy family. There was another large crash, so I threw my duvet back as I decided I would go investigate and offer my assistance after all Calum and I were so close, he loved me the most I was sure of it. There was a strange metallic smell in the air as I moved down the long mauve corridor of our upstairs, the soft cream carpet comforting beneath my bare feet. As I rounded the corner into my parent's room my heart stopped.

The carpet beneath my feet was soaked with blood and the stench of open flesh burned my nose with its metallic perfume. I began to gag as my hand flew up to my mouth as sick slithered up my throat, I couldn't contain it and found myself buckling forward as I vomited everywhere. It's burned the skin in my throat as everything I had ever eaten was pulled up through my throat thick with acid. The bodies of my parents lay torn apart as if attack by some savage beast and I didn't dare look at the stone cold body of my brother. My mind was reeling, I didn't care for my own safety as whatever had done this was clearly still in the house but I couldn't do anything, I couldn't bring myself to run and leave them. I found myself crawling forward towards my mother's body; I curled up next to her hugging her close to me. She was still warm, her throat had been ripped apart and there was crescent bite marks all over her arms. I cried so much as I looked down at her fiery red hair was plastered to her blood stained face. I closed her emerald eyes because I couldn't take the pain of looking at her anymore. The only family I had was slaughtered as I had lay sleeping in my bed. My fathers jet black hair was poking out at me from over the top of the bed and I was sure that the same look of serene fear was looking out his chocolate eyes much like they had out of my mothers.

A gentle brush of wind on the back of my neck signalled to me that someone or something had entered the room. I didn't know how I knew that but something in the pit of my stomach told me. I straightened up my back and continued to wipe the blood from my mothers sun kissed face. There was a murmur of voices, too low for me to hear what they said but they were there all the same. My mind seemed to shut down and go into auto pilot as I accepted that I was about to die. My family was died, I would be orphaned again, what was the point? I doubted I would be able to get this image out of my head anyway, death would actually be nice. An icy cold ghostly touch brushed my neck, I found myself gagging again as a metal tinged breath was blown across my face as someone moved to hover at my ear. They played with my hair, and stroked my hair making me feel violated and nothing but a pet.

"It is time Anya, we can't wait any longer." The woman whispered and I felt both her hands wrap around my neck, she moved them in a swift and quick movement. After that all I seen was a never ending blackness.

If I had control of my body I think I would have cried because that last memory was haunting but not just that, it was from my human life. No wonder They had taken the memories from me, if that had been my first waking memory I don't think I would been able to cope. The only reason I was able to cope just now was because as horrible and tragic as that last memory was, I didn't remember anything about them, did we ever fight? Was I ever beaten? Were they funny? I still knew nothing of them just that we generally got along. So what was there for me too miss? Then there was the fact since I began my new life I have seen and felt people die so often, lost so many friends, that death has just become that kid at school that is always hanging about but you never quite know why. It was part of me now, the only reason I was as strong as I am is because of death and what it means; death has made me what I am today. So I couldn't bring myself to grieve, over the death of strangers to me but I cried anyway because I knew from that memory they were my world.

There was something else that troubled me though about that last memory and as I continued to be trapped in my own mind for the next few days it was something I kept going over and over. My family had been killed, ripped apart by a Vampire that much I was sure of but who? Could the others have known what I was meant to be back then? If they did they wouldn't have killed me to speed up the process and left me alone to wonder about the earth, to find the temple where I would then go onto learn how to fight them. No that was just stupid. I mean just random Vampires was a likely possibility, it isn't the first or last time they would have breezed through the country seen a house standing all alone and slaughtered all the people in it. No there was something familiar about the hand on my neck, that voice, I had heard it since I had woke up. I had met them, I knew the killers of my parents but at the same time I didn't nothing made any sense anymore. I couldn't trust anyone at the Temple anymore because if they had known the truth about my family why lie and say it was a fire? Could they have been involved?

For what I presumed was days my mind went round and round in circles trying to make sense of everything I had seen, I could feel that I was hungry and thirsty but I couldn't wake myself up. I took turns of screaming for Damon and for Rick, it was stupid I now realised because I was trapped in my own mind, though I could hear myself scream and shout no-one else could. The outside world, the physical one can't hear my cries of pain and desperation as I was literally going out of my mind, I had gone insane. What normal person gets trapped in their own head? I began to wallow in self pity again because it hit me again that not even Damon could rescue me now, even though he hadn't been invited in I knew he would find a way somehow to get me help even if it was as simple as sending in Elena to get me but nothing could be done because no-one knew I was trapped. I mean I had heard the phone ring several times and the numerous voicemails left for me from Rick but this wouldn't be the first time I had jetted off without a word. I was always wondering off whenever I stayed with him after the third time it happened he stopped checking up on me as I always showed up eventually, so he wasn't going to come to the house and break the door down anytime soon. As for Stefan he and Damon had been to the door a good few times, they could sense that I was in the house but they just guessed I didn't want to see anyone so eventually they stopped coming. A new sharper bout of pain hit me signalling that after days of silence another memory was being sent my way, for me to sulk over.

As I lay there face first down in the warm, rich soil of the woods, as it contoured itself to cushion my face and body as Elijah pinned me to the floor with the help of two others. The panicked breaths next to me were from Trevor he had come back out to help me when he and Rose heard they were after me but the idiot had only got himself captured as well. Though I couldn't exactly talk now could I? They had me as well but that was because Elijah knew what I was, he had clearly figured it out because as he came at me he signalled for one of his men to kill his comrade, causing me to be hit with a wave of pain right before Elijah tackled me. The only one of us not captured was Rose and I knew her to be so kind of heart and confident that she would help Trevor escape but me, well we had already discussed that. As great friends as we were, I had made her promise me as soon as I knew this could be an outcome that if anything happened to save herself and Trevor first. I told her I wasn't of this world and that if anything them killing me would be a good thing, I would be grateful. They would be sending me home back to where I belonged. Something that I knew was coming soon as they continued to hold me in a tight grip. Elijah bent forward, shoving his knee into my back causing me to bit my lip as I winced with pain at the pressure being placed on my spine.

"He is on his way you know, the Grand Master of the Manor." He taunted in my ear lobe and I wanted nothing more than to lean back and head butt him in the face. Teach him not to be so smarmy. Well at least I had protected Katarina, Trevor had told me she tricked Rose into turning her before running away, so I was now free to die peacefully. Free to return back to the plane I belonged on, it was the most beautiful place I had ever seen and I longed to go back. So drift in the air as I flew, to smile down at everyone as I meandered about free to do as I wished. Back to my original form instead of this borrowed one. I looked up and debating breaking free but I already knew that if I tried anything Elijah had people ready to stake Trevor and to kill innocent farmers that they had ripped from homes nearby, worst of all he knew I wouldn't kill anyone. It went against what I was and who I was at a person, hm perhaps if I ever end up here again back on earth I will make sure that they fix that. I put in a request that I am able to kill, that the guilt didn't kill me and I was a strong enough person to be able to handle it.

Great black boots appeared in front of my face, they were muddy slightly from the owners run over here. Elijah pulled me up into a slumped standing position, holding me tightly to his chest and I found myself gazing at his Master in surprise. This was the first time we had ever met and I didn't even know his name. He was far much younger than I had suspected, in my mind he was an older gentleman with long wired white hair down to his waist, with crooked fingers like spider legs, long and gangly. Instead however he looked very young and beautiful, with soft golden hair, a strong body he looked like Hercules the son of Zeus. He looked inviting and devilishly charming. He moved towards me with a gentle and lustful smile, extending his hand towards me despite the fact mine were bound behind my back.

"Ah Il mio angelo.." he shook his head began to twirl a piece of my hair in his fingers. He stared at me with vibrant glass blue eyes. "At last we meet, let me introduce myself. I am Klaus, Master of this home."

I sat up bolt right in my bed, breathing heavily, I was free from my own mind. I tried to stand up but I moved too quickly and found that my jelly legs couldn't support me and I tumbled to the floor. I laughed loudly as I patted myself down to check I was unharmed. I had obviously seen all I needed to for now, or all that I could handle for now. I laughed loud and gleefully as the fact I was back and safe hit me. I fumbled about looking for my phone, I pulled it down off of my bed and check the date. Frick today was the, well afternoon by now, of Miss Mystic Falls. I needed to find Damon and tell him that I knew about Katherine and Elena, to see if he knew who Klaus was. I had far too many missed calls from both brothers and Rick to even count so I cleared them all away and raced to the shower, I had a party to go too. I was so glad I was free, I felt like running through the town screaming 'I'm free!' at the top of my lungs.

Once I had showered and dried my hair so it fell down in its natural curls. I didn't have time to register what I was doing because I was too excited to finally be able to get to go anywhere and too see Damon, and all my others friend too of course. My dress was just above knee height, it was a strapless dress that was a rich cream colour that tinted peach in certain lights and a black lace covered the dress with a delicate swirl pattern up the bodice of much darker lace. There was a heap of different layers in the skirt that caused it too fan out. I pulled my hair back into a French bun and after slipping on my black paten heels, I all but floored it to the car and then to the party. But as I neared the party I could sense something wasn't quite right, something had gone wrong.

I parked the car up just down form the Lockwoods home and found myself wandering off into the woods towards a strange feeling was beginning to pull me there. Something wasn't right and I subconsciously moved in the direction my heart seemed to indicate. My stomach growled angrily because I had planned to eat at the party but it seemed to know I was walking in the opposite direction of the overly grand buffet. I pushed the hunger to the back of my mind and continued to move through the trees towards the weird feeling of, well I couldn't quite describe it, it is the feeling I imagine Obi Wan Kenobi had when he sensed Anakin was about to turn to the dark side. Someone good was about to do something bad, something very bad and whoever was they were important to me, as otherwise I doubted I would be out here. Being pulled towards them. Something in me clicked, Stefan. I began to race full pace towards where I hoped he would be, praying I wasn't too late. I found him locked in an embrace with a blonde girl, leaning up against his car right outside the party. Leaving my shield down I was assaulted by his feeling of desperation and hunger. He was just holding her face, talking to her but I knew what happened next.

"What's stopping you?" The blonde girl asked Stefan as I snuck closer ready to grab him, her voice was lifeless and I knew he had compelled her. What the hell had being going on as I was mia? Seriously, Stefan was acting like a sociopath. I couldn't help but feel guilty, if I had been just ignored his accusations the other night and taken away his pain and hunger, I could have prevented all of this because it was clear in my absence he hadn't stopped feeding on human blood.

The pair had continued talking whilst I got closer and closer to them, Stefan brushed her hair aside and dipped down to bite her neck. I chose that moment to make my move, his teeth brushed agonizingly close to her skin for him as I grabbed his suit jacket and launched him a good distance backwards into some trees. He slumped down against them dazed and confused. I took my window of opportunity and began to compel Amber. I instructed her she had come outside for a walk to clear her head, she had seen Stefan and I talking by his car, there was a clear argument she had noted, one she would tell Elena or perhaps Stefan's brother of but it looked intense so she went back inside to change into her dress. She did as she was told and went straight back inside where she would hopefully tell Elena or Damon of what she had seen causing of them to come outside as back up for me.

Wind brushed against my neck signalling a very anger Stefan's leap towards me I turned round in perfect time, my hand wrapped around his throat and I slammed him into the ground. I climbed on top of him, not caring how bad it looked to anyone who came outside, from down here we were hidden by the cars anyway and I would be able to sense if anyone headed in out direction. His face was dark with veins that had appeared around his eyes, fangs protruding downwards from his mouth as he snapped and growled up at me. In an effort to mock him and hopefully came him down I hissed at him angrily. Surprisingly it had worked as well, Stefan's face retuned slowly to normal as he looked up at me.

"Anya?" he asked me completely bewildered, voice tight with hunger but thick with guilt. "What are you doing here?"

"Saving you from yourself, clearly in my absence you didn't stop feeding on the human stuff Stefan. But its okay I am here to help you now." I smiled brightly down at him, though he seemed to be more relaxed I didn't have any intentions of moving or letting up on my death grip that had him all but staked to the ground.

"You've been gone all week, we came to see you but you…what ?" he seemed to babble away to himself and I signed out of boredom as I began to devise a plan. If I just compelled him, just a little, I could get him to go back to the house, where I could take away him hunger but that would only work if all the blood was from his system because otherwise it would only be a temporary fix, maybe if I locked him away and forced him to detox before hand. There had to be cellar in the Boarding House, perhaps I could get hold of some vervain too, just to make sure he stayed down. It was a pretty poor plan but it was the only one I had. I looked down ensuring I could see straight into Stefan's eyes, he ceased his guilty rant about how he never meant to hurt Amber- I was going guess that she was the blonde I had seen only moments before.

"Right, here is how we are going to work this-" my pupils retracted in and out causing Stefan to fall under my very unique brand of compulsion. "You are going to go straight home, where you will wait for me in the living room. You will not move, you will not speak to anyone until I tell you otherwise. You will do exactly as you have been told." I growled forcibly at the end before clambering off of him and standing up. He murmured back a groggy agreement before running off home, I dusted myself off and skipped up the steps of the Lockwood's home. I would grab something quickly to eat and then head back to the Boarding House to deal with Stefan. As I wolfed down the buffet food as if I had never seen food in my life, I felt a familiar presence at my shoulder and I smiled.

"Hello Damon." I murmured through a mouthful of a mini sandwich as my hand moved to cover up my disgusting action. I quickly swallowed before turning to face him smiling. He looked taken back at my appearance, my face scrunched up into a frown; make a girl feel bad why don't you. I mean the look of surprise as he looked me over was shocking, I was no Elena or Katherine for that matter but I wasn't exactly the ugliest girl on the shelf, jeez. "Miss me?" I smiled up at him and he seemed to snap back from his accusing thought no doubt.

"You could say that. Where have you been Anya?" He asked with a very serious and sombre tone, you would think someone had died honestly. If anyone should sound sad and all doom and gloom it was me. After all I had just spent the last few days trapped in the darkest corner of my own mind, only to see very cryptic memories that didn't help me out at all.

"I got caught up with family stuff, which I should probably be getting back too you know." I made a move to leave, a clock on the wall behind Damon had caught my eye, I had already forced Stefan to wait for me for fifteen minutes. I didn't want to have him sat there all night on the naughty step like a child. Despite how bad he had been, it was just a bit cruel. As went to step past Damon but he only blocked me with ease, drawing the attention of people near us.

"You don't get out that easily, you and I are going to dance and pretend to the lovely people watching us that we are the charming couple they all seem to think we are, and you are going to tell me what's going on." He spoke with gritted teeth but to anyone looking at us he had the brightest smile on his face, I let out a deep breath as he led me to the dance floor where we began to dance slowly to some mushy love song.

"So people think we are couple, eh?" I teased as we danced earning a laugh from Damon, as he twirled me outwards and then back in where his hand rested on the small of my back. He held me quickly close as we swayed to the music.

"Yes, it would appear so and the lengths you will go to, to avoid answering my questions are outstanding." Well he did have me there as he did his little eyebrow dance again and continued to force me to dance. He moved with such elegance and grace, showing his true age, Damon had been born in the era of formal dances. He had been doing this all his life and was a true expert at it.

"Please, don't. Okay I would tell you if I could but I can't. Anyway its not like you have been very honest with me now is it?" I accused up at him, as he faced down at me, to all those watching we looked as if we were on the verge of a kiss and not an argument. He looked at me with a quirked eyebrow indicating confusion. "How about the fact Elena looks exactly like Katherine? You left that one out now didn't you." I smugly smiled at him as I answered his unspoken question as to what he had been lying about.

"How do you know about that?" he smiled but growled down the question at me, we had stopped dancing now and his grip on my hand had become painful. I was beginning to see red and well that just wouldn't end well, I pushed him backwards and due to the very public setting he was forced to oblige.

"That isn't important, what is though, is that I am leaving now and you won't be following me." the last part was spoken with my compelling eyes and I exited the room swiftly as Damon stared after me, unable to follow.

I gave Stefan a small smile as he sat waiting on the doorstep of his own home frozen until I told him otherwise, I kicked off my heels and sat down next to him. I had ran all the way here after I had left Damon stuck in the house. I put my arm around Stefan and pulled him into a hug, as I rubbed soothing circles on his back, my mothering nature taking over. He began to weep slightly with guilt and pain at what he was becoming. At letting himself lose to his inner Vampire. I reached behind me and opened the door before getting Stefan up onto his feet, slipping my arm around his waist I led him inside and down to where he told me the cellar was. There was a dusty bed inside it and I asked him to go sit on it. Once we were both inside the dingy cell, I lit the lanterns with a burst of fir from y hands, a little trick Mark had taught me before turning my attention to the door. Using the same power I had on the lock at Miss Pearl's house so many days ago, I locked us both in. I joined a distraught Stefan on the grotty bed and hugged him to me once more, as I stoked his hair murmuring words of comfort.

I don't know how long we sat like that, as he told me what he had done in the past week whilst I had been gone, how bad he felt. He told me the reason today he had lost it was all down to Damon, he had caught him telling Elena that Stefan was still drinking human blood, he was just so mad because Elena wasn't suppose to find out ever. The thunderous feet of Damon entering the house echoed down to both of us, as he moved through the house calling for Stefan. I continued to sooth Stefan as he grew agitated that he Damon had brought Elena with him and Stefan would lose it and hurt her, he wouldn't of course he loved her too much but even if he lost it, there was no way he would be able to get past me and out that door. I kicked the dirt covered ground with my bare feet as I soothed Stefan once more.

"Damon." I spoke it at normal volume, where as for the past few hours I had used a much softer, angelic tone when talking Stefan down from his ledge. I heard Damon pause above us so I spoke again with more force in my voice and this time he appeared within the blink of an eye at the door. "I need you to go get me some vervain, Stefan needs it. Where is Elena?" I rubbed Stefan's back as he leaned forward head in his hands.

"I told her to wait at home until I called her. You shouldn't be in there with him." Damon growled, he could sense the pain his brother was and the danger I would be in if I was human like he thought I was. I shook my head and hugged onto Stefan's back like a mother protecting her cub from danger.

"Damon, trust me. He wont hurt me, I don't smell nice enough." I joked and Stefan laughed weakly his back vibrating from it.

"You think this is funny?" Damon screamed and slammed his hand against the door that separated us. I only frowned at him in response and ignored is fiery gaze as it burned at the top of my head. It hurt that he was so mad at me, that he didn't trust me, even if he was concerned for my safety. He dropped a vervain dart through the small window that he looked though; it rolled across the floor to rest at Stefan's feet. He picked it up and played with it in his hands, just staring at it in a fearful wonder. I moved off his back to allow him to sit up, he looked at the dart then up at my face. I reached up and rubbed his cheek affectionately.

"Its going to be okay, just trust me, this will help and I promise you, I wont let you feel any pain because as long as you hold my hand-" I reached out and took the dart from him, swapping it into my right hand, and holding his hand with my left to show I what I was meaning. "You won't feel a thing, not even scratch or a pinch. As long as you hold me hand, you will just fell sleepy, I promise." He nodded and held my hand tighter closing his eyes and exposing his neck to me.

"Do it." He spoke through gritted teeth and I plunged the dart into his neck, it was a very poetic place for him to ask for it to be placed after all it is the same place he planned to drain Amber from. I channelled his pain into me and I began to fell his pain as the vervain spread out in blood stream, I fought off the scream that longed to howl out into the cell. Stefan's eyes drifted open sleepily and he looked at me confused. "Have you done it." I nodded because I knew if I spoke I would cry out, I got the pain of having the acidic vervain take over his body where as he just felt sleepy. Stefan nodded and shifted to lie back, I stood up with quivering legs as I moved with him so he could lie back, I took up residence on the floor as Stefan fell into a peaceful sleep unaware of any pain that he should be in. I heard the lock being pulled apart, Damon had been watching the whole time making of the exchange what he could, he came into the room slowly. My vision was blurred by tears by I gave him a painful smile regardless. Damon closed the door behind him and I raised my free hand to shut the lock as I leaned against the cool wall, Damon sat beside me putting an arm around me hugging me to him, he placed a kiss on the top of my forehead and whispered a gentle.

"Thank you." That night I fell asleep in the arms of Damon as a war of Stefan's pain and hunger ravaged my body.

**A/N: Hey please review, next comes Anya's confession to Stefan and an explanation of sorts. **


	11. Chapter 11: Stay With Me

**A/N: Okay so it confession time and I hope no-body freaks to much at Anya's confession. :/ Also not much Damon/Anya but there is a very sweet moment at the start of the chapter before it grows a little bit more serious. I didn't want to bog this down too much with a serious atmosphere so I made her confession very light hearted and just a tad worried. I made it very Anya in my opinion but let me know what you think.**

**I don't own anything but Anya and her storyline. Please Review for me. =]**

A chilled hand tried to untangle my grip from Stefan's, the pain had eased now and was non existent so I let them take my hand away and I moved myself into a more comfortable position slumped against the cell wall, pulling my knees in tighter and rolling onto one side, my head resting against the edge of the canopy bed. A complacent sigh fell from my lips, I was very tired and though not entirely comfortable this would have to do for now. I couldn't go home, it was too far away encase Stefan needed my help. So I made do and moved with a sleepy mind into a better position but whoever owned those chilled hands was having none of it, just as sleep welled up to take me again they began to shuffle my body into their arms, I tried to pull away but they murmured soothing words into my ear so I let them. They carried my weight easily and air moved around me signalling I was being taken somewhere and seen as my mind sang with serenity I didn't bother fighting it or even opening my heavy eyes to see where they took me.

I bobbed about in their arms as I hung like a dead weight, so I fumbled till I found their neck and nuzzled in closer; I was so comfy maybe I would sleep here. The person smelt good too, it was welcoming and so familiar I felt safe and at home. I heard heavy footsteps on the wooden stairs and then along a corridor a bit more before they turned me sideways and into a room. It was warm and smelt the same as whoever held me in their arms, I was placed so delicately on the bed like I was the most precious thing the world. I dragged my sleep weighted eyes opened only to find myself gazing at Damon's retreating form, I leaned forward and brushed the back of his wrist. If he left, they waited till I was alone you see, the dreams would overcome me and I wouldn't wake up. So I called out to him in a rough voice that surprised even me, he seemed to stiffen where he stood. I needed him to wake me up to keep me from drifting.

"Stay please..." I yawned as he turned to face me frozen slightly in shock. "If you go I will get stuck." My eyes fell closed again and I moved so I was hugging a pillow as I rested my head on top of it too.

"Stuck where?" His voice was impatient and bored at whatever it was that was going on, he too sounded tired. I felt bad that I was causing him to be bored and more tired than he already was but I needed him, I was too sleepy to stay awake or to even move myself elsewhere so I could stay with someone.

"In my head, the dreams they trap me and I will get stuck like last time when I vanished for days, it hurts so much, it feels like I am being cremated but if you stay the dreams they can't trap me because you can wake me up." I mumbled it through a voice so quiet and so thick with sleep I was surprised I managed to say anything at all. I snuggled down more as sleep began to edge its way closer and closer to me, I felt the bed sink slightly as he joined me on the bed and he manoeuvred me so his arm was around me.

"I promise I will wake you up this time." he whispered it as if he didn't want me to hear it, which I almost didn't as second later everything drifting into a gentle blackout as sleep took over.

I wanted to scream as I found myself sitting up bolt right in the blackest place I had ever been, fog swam around me and it was so cold wherever this was suppose to be that my breath could be seen glowing neon in front of me. I looked down at myself to find I was still in my ball dress from the Miss Mystic Falls pageant, the one I had fallen asleep in. it was clear that this was either a dream or a vision either way I had found myself stuck somewhere yet again. My hand moved in the fog and it swirled to dance around it. I looked about and for miles I saw nothing but blackness dimly lit by the white fog. The cries of a crow could be heard echoing in the distance. I picked myself up off the ground and smoothed out my dress, I turned about so I could see more of wherever I was but saw nothing except a great black door.

It was made of a strong wood and as I moved towards it taking each step with caution, each step was carefully placed in front of the other as I crept closer and closer, I could see that it was very old and very thick. Soon enough I was stood facing the door. I reached out and placed my hand on the door, it door had been scratched and hacked away at by something or someone. I found myself circling the door; it stood alone not connecting to anything. I walked around it several times before reaching for the great door knob. It was brass and felt like ice as I gripped it securely in my hand, one last once over of the door revealed hundreds of years worth of dust and cobwebs finely matted over the top of the door. Whoever had been attacking it was clearly not tall enough tot disturb that on the top just the bottom. Turning the door handle each way it refused to move, I began to pull at the door and then pushing on it, each time putting all my weight behind it. I straightened my back and began to rattle the door full force but it didn't budge not even an inch. I let out a scream of frustration as I tried again, well this was completely pointless if it wasn't going to let me see any thing, why the hell take me here? I punched and kicked the door but nothing.

"That isn't going to work." A small voice spoke from behind me before I even turned I knew I would find myself looking at a child but I didn't expect to see him as he was. As I turned around I was confronted by a boy dressed in clothes of the 18th century, they were no longer fine though or well kept, they were torn and ragged with age. Holes and torn edges covered every item of clothing, all of them covered in black grime, the same grime that covered his hands, cut up bare feet and face. He looked at me through hair covered eyes and gave me a weak smile, it was bright and white but there was something else, it seemed familiar. They way his cheeks lifted to allow the smile, I had seen it before. The cheeky essence that lingered on his lips, I knew that. Black hair covered his eyes as it stuck to his grubby forehead, it was greasy probably because he didn't wash, he was filthy but when I looked into his eyes I was amazed. They were so blue, so stunning as they glistened like the early morning frost as the sun catches it. He was adorable and would grow into a handsome man some day no doubt but what was he doing here?

"Trust me I have tried everything to open that door" he laughed as he wiggled his cut and bruised feet as me before showing me similar marks on his hands. Oh that laugh I knew it, this was so frustrating why was everything so cryptic in my head, why couldn't they just give me straight answer? Pricks, I hated myself right now, if I could kick my minds ass I definitely would. "He never lets anyone go in there anymore, too personal for him. He says it causes him too much pain so he locked me out here in the cold, to teach me a lesson."

"Where are we?" I asked my voice soft with concern as I edged towards him. He looked confused and slightly startled by my movements, he seemed to quiver slightly as he spoke.

"In His Mind." He whispered as he stood like a rabbit staring down the barrel of the hunter's gun. I stopped walking towards him and just looked at him, clearing he was comfortably taking about whoever 'he' was but maybe I could coax some answers out of him slowly with kindness. I closed the distance between us and hugged him to me, not carrying that he was dirty as I stoked his hair and whispered the soothing words that came to me naturally.

"I have seen you here before. He thinks about you and sometimes you drift about here before disappearing all together but he never manages to make you look as pretty as what you are. He says that you are funny and he likes, smart too but there is something strange about you that he can't figure out and he doesn't like not knowing things. I can't see anything wrong with you though, maybe he was right you are too kind to be his friend. I wouldn't want you to be his friend, not now." As he spoke he smiled but he also looked around the room frantically as if something would leap out and grab him. I merely pulled him closer into me as I mulled over what he had said. Whoever's mind I was in they knew me, quite well apparently, they thought about me fondly and quite bit. I ran my hands quickly up and down the boys back in hope it would put some heat into him. He leaned back and I looked down into his eyes, a flash in my mind of an older pair, a darker pair but my mind wouldn't let me put a name to the owner of the eyes I had seen. I knew the man this boy would become, or was, after all this was a dream but I couldn't piece it together.

"What's your name?" I found myself asking in complete wonderment as I continued to stare into the boy's eyes. He buried his face into my stomach so I couldn't stare at him anymore and it was against my stomach I heard his muffled answer.

"Damon…" he choked out from a cry as he clung to me tighter. In a state of shock I continued to massage calming circle onto his back, trying to keep myself together as it now all made sense. I had fallen asleep next to Damon and now I dreamed of him as a child trapped somewhere dark and cold. If the strange feeling in my gut was right, I already knew the answer to my next question

"Who keeps you out here? Whose mind are we in?" I let the words fall into the icy air between us, as the boy squirmed in my arms once more, I could feel that he was scared to answer me and guilty about all he had told me so far. So I brushed his hair as I ran my fingers through it, waiting for him to be ready to confirm my suspicions.

"Damon's." I pushed the boy back from my as the fog wrapped around my ankles tugging at me, I kissed his forehead quickly and decided that I would find a way to help this boy and that the idea I held all along of Damon being a lost little boy was true. I was ripped from holding the boy and was thrust back into the land of the living.

This time when I sat up from my sleep I found myself looking about Damon's bedroom, I smoothed out the layers of my dress as I sat just watching Damon sleep, like a creepy stalker. Why did Damon trap that boy outside the door? It was all metaphorical of course; I just didn't know what it meant. My hand moved of it own accord to brush the hair from his eyes, smoothing it back against his forehead as he slept soundly. Right now he didn't look dangerous and I could see the features of the little boy still present on his, he looked kind of sweet and innocent asleep which is ironic; as when Damon is awake his true nature of cruelty seeps through. He couldn't help it, it came with the territory of being a Vampire, he has to feed to survive much like humans eat animals in order to survive, he feeds on humans. The circle of life was a real bitch but it did help to ease my mind about what Damon was really like, it wasn't his fault he had stayed a Vampire after Katherine bolted it was technically Stefan's but then this was no-body's fault. Damon drank from her willingly and then spent an eternity searching for her before finding her double in Elena. I couldn't help but wonder if he too loved Elena and what it meant for my growing attachment. I found myself perching my chin on top of my knees as I just sat there gazing at this peculiar man who had turned my already topsy turvy world upside down once more. I was in way too deep and if I stayed I would only end up endangering him more than what he already was, the appearance of Elijah over a week ago in the woods meant trouble was coming to Mystic Falls and of course John Gilbert was clearly planning something, which I could only presume that his mysterious partner was Isobel after all she kept getting dragged into everything, her name always mentioned. It couldn't be coincidence; nothing in this town was coincident. My apparent past life shared with Katherine, now here I am with her Doppelganger, her ex lovers and well everything was just so messed up. I needed to back off now.

Then could I really leave and not help that boy for self preservation? No, I just couldn't it all came down to who and what I was, I may be a lot of things thanks to the modern world tainting the innocence of my being but I wasn't selfish. I have to stay to help that boy and to help all my new friends but perhaps I can take away any inclination Damon has of taking this further than a causal friendship. I could make him forget all those feelings; it would be like flipping a switch and ending this. I could force him to forget that all those almost kisses and make him see me as just a friend, a sister like character that though he does enjoy my company were I too go away he wouldn't be upset by it at all. I wasn't sure if I on the other hand could survive my self implicated rejection from Damon but I would have to just to make sure he stayed safe and well. I would cut out my heart and curse it to burn in the oldest cinder in hell if it meant he and all the others that I had grown close to here would be safe. Or even just have a shot at surviving the death that followed me.

With one last lingering glance over his face, I clambered over him and off the bed with the light movements of a fairy careful not to touch him at all so as not to wake him. I couldn't stay in my dress all day especially if I planned on helping Stefan, so I rummaged around in Damon's drawers until I found a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt to borrow, after quickly changing in the overly grand bathroom and stealing Damon's toothbrush to clean my teeth – yeah I know how disgusting it is but I couldn't walk around all day without brushing my teeth plus I was pretty sure he wouldn't notice. Once I was certain that Stefan was okay and wouldn't be in pain at all over the next little while I would go straight home to retrieve my mobile, shower and change my clothes over. I would probably pack a bag so I could stay here until Stefan was back on his feet. As I padded barefoot through into the bedroom I spied black silk poking out from under the bed, a knowing smile spread across my face, finally evidence of Damon's night-time naughtiness. I was over by the bed in a flash pulling it out but as the sun light caught the top of the box I gasped at its contents. The gown I had worn at the Founders day Kick off was here freshly dry cleaned and ready to be returned to me. The ticket said it had been dropped off and picked up the day after the party, after my disappearance. I carefully retuned it to where I found it before heading down stairs beaming. Maybe I wasn't the only one growing attached after all but I suddenly deadpanned, if these feelings were returned it looked like I was going to have to end this now and quickly. Once Stefan was better, I would end it, I owned him at least that, the chance to live for another hundred years without the bad luck that would befall anyone who grew to close to me. I half laughed remembering The Amazing Spiderman comics Mark let me read when we lived in Seattle and how anyone who grew too close to The Black Cat would be affected by the bad luck that haunted her, clearly I was Damon's Black Cat. I shook off the fear for his life that began to haze my mind and decided to take care of Stefan first.

Over the next few days I spent all my time over at the Salvatores, apart from going home to sleep at night and also to obsessively try and call Mark. He hadn't been answering much lately and when he did I got all of two minutes of conversation before he 'had to go', something was happening with him and those stupid Elders and I didn't like it. Stefan had spent most of his time mourning over past mistakes so I sat and listened to them all as he led me through his story. I already knew through Damon that it was Stefan that forced him to turn completely but I didn't know the pain and guilt that Stefan had been carrying about all these years. The house was in a very sombre mood as everyone in it worried about Stefan or in the care of Damon got bored of babysitting his little brother. Elena, who was here every moment she could manage, had grown closer to me and shared secrets with me as if we were now great friends. She was concerned for Stefan now, as the vervain had been out his system for a while but he still refused to drink anything, he told her he wanted to die that's why I devised my plan. I would finally confess to him what I was and give him the option of my taking away the pain all together. It would have to be his choice I wasn't going to force him to remain alive if he truly wanted to die for my own or even Elena's selfish reasons. So I waited until Elena had to go home and I got Rick to call Damon away to investigate some Vampire business outside of town, leaving me and Stefan alone undisturbed so no-one bar us need know what I was about to divulge to him. I had never told anyone before what I was and I knew that until now I hadn't meant anyone more worthy or more of a martyr than Stefan, so I would tell him. He was far more human than most humans themselves and he deserved this little piece of good news as apparently my existence brings hope to some.

I shuffled into the cool cell tugging my oversized woollen grey jumper closer, it drifted down just above my knees, it was one of Marks and for comfort I had shoved it on today, as if by merely wearing it I would somehow have his support for doing this. God knows I need it. He was sat on the food all scrunched up in a vest looked very much like a prison, despite the fact the cell door had been left open for days and he was free to leave. I sat down on the dusty floor next to him sighing before resting my head on his shoulder. It was now or never but how to explain something so complicated. I guess I would start with the basics. I would see what he understood of what happened after we died and then gentle ease him into the bombshell of completely absurd information that well just sounded stupid when you said it and then looked at me, as to be honest I did have to agree with the Elders; I didn't look like I was suppose too. Maybe Stefan would agree as well and not believe me but you know I trusted him; he was too kind a soul to act like that.

"Stefan, what do you think happens when we die?" I asked staring at the scabby wooden door before us both. He fidgeted slightly where he sat, letting an overused groan fall from his lips as he contemplated his answer. It was a big question but the only way I could think to bring him into the conversation, I needed to know he wanted to know the answer to one of life's most asked questions because here I sat and I knew what happens when we die, where we go and how it is decided. Hell I was living proof of what happens after death, I mean apparently I have died twice. I lived in the 15th century and died, then I was born in 1988, lived till 2007 and died again but low and behold I woke up. Me and death were great friends by now, I was clearly well versed in what happens after death especially seen as I was an 'Old Soul' which basically means my soul is recycled. I am going to go out on a limb and guess that I am reborn every so often to protect the Doppelganger. After all that's what most of my little trips to 15th century have taught me, I was guardian to the Petrova Doppelgangers' and also that I used to be much more innocent in the sense I wouldn't kill people but at the same time wished I was stronger so I could. Well at least that is one improvement since I was reawakened this time. Stefan sighed signalling he was finally ready to answer.

"I guess because of my upbringing, I believe that those with a good soul go onto a better place and those without, like Vampires, drift elsewhere. Why?" a typical belief and one not far from the truth, actually it would appear making him understand what I was would be much easier than I thought but he had to want to know, this was a complete mind fuck, that unless he was willing he would never be able to fully understand it. I mean he is right and so are most religions, if you live an alright life then you go onto the next plane, if not you get stuck in limbo. Kind of like Heaven and Hell but not quite there isn't an almighty God or Devil ruling either, then again it was controlled by the white light so I guess you could argue that it was a god of sort. In all honesty it depends on your religious background, Christian, Buddha, Jewish or a 'Child of the Light' like the Elders.

"If you could know, for certain, what happened after you died, would you want to know?" my voice was small out of fear and silence hung in the air like an unwanted visitor but I sat in it, letting it move around me uncomfortably until Stefan was able to speak and end this silence. I couldn't force him into wanting an answer and if he said no, then I would walk away. Compel him to forget we had spoken about this and let him wallow.

"Yes I would want to know but Anya what is this about?" His voice was so dark and withdrawn I began to regret my decision but there was no backing out now, I had flagged the conversation and I couldn't drop it now.

"Me, I have to tell you something. I have to tell you about me, Stefan because if you truly want to die then fine throw your life away but if you want to live, to stay here and love Elena for as long as you can then I will make sure hunger never hurts you again. But either way, no matter what your decision is, you need to know the truth about me, though in return I need to know this never leave this room, that no-one apart from us will ever know of what has been said here today. Ever." The words flowed from me quickly and urgently as I was so worried about what this would mean for both of us, his knowing, would The Others come for him too if they found out? As soon as I spoke the first word of my rushed rant, both of us sat frozen staring into the abyss that surrounded us of each others despair.

"Anything you tell me, shall go with me to my death Anya. No-one will ever know, not even Elena." He spoke with such sincerity it broke my loving heart in two and I fought off a sob but I reigned in my emotions and went on auto pilot preparing to tell him the truth because I knew he meant it and even if I had any doubts I would be able to force him to keep my secret. I had made the right choice to confined in Stefan as I knew he would now be able to help me deal with Damon, once he knew the dangers of being around me, no doubt he would be a good friend and stick by me regardless. I cleared my head of all the fog and took a deep breath as I wondered how I would begin, guess its best to go from the start.

"You were right you know? When someone dies, Vampire or not, if they have a good soul they go onto the next place and if they have a dark soul they drift elsewhere in what I guess I would call limbo but sometimes a soul is so special that it gets lost. That's what happened with me." I shifted so Stefan and I were holding eye contact fiercely as I tried to make him understand something that I never really had, emerald against sapphire as our gaze grew serious with anticipation.

"I died Stefan, I was killed in cold blood by a group of Vampires, me and my whole family died in December 2007 on the night of the Winter Solstice. I am dead, they snapped my neck and I died but I didn't stay that way. For reasons I will never understand I was brought back to life, not as a Vampire, not as a Witch, not because I had a magic ring like Alaric but because I am something else, something other." I paused taking a deep breath as tears swallowed my vision, I blinked to clear them, I couldn't believe what I was saying, I was telling the whole truth for the first time in my life.

"I don't remember anything of my _human_ life, nineteen years of memories lost forever all because they needed me to become this-" I gestured down myself as I began to fidgeted with my jumper, god I needed Mark he was always better at explaining things than I was, he explained it to Isobel and Rick, to Mason too but me? He made them understand and they didn't judge me at all, I was the reason Isobel became so hung up on the supernatural but I had never had the guts to tell anyone the truth ever. "I woke up in a burned out house, covered in soot and ash. My skin was black with the charcoaled remains of my home but at the time I didn't know where I was or what had happened. All I knew was that I was floating, I was lighter than air and I drifted about freely in this strange place where I didn't belong but at the same time there was something tugging at my heart, like a homing beacon. Like I was attached to a piece of string and the other end lay somewhere where I belonged, so I followed it, unaware of where I was, what anything was. You know I remember looking down at the trees and wondering what they were, hell I thought sheep were fallen clouds till I was corrected. I could walk, run, jump and fly Stefan but I didn't know basic anything, I spoke words not of this world that only made sense to me. I could do such wonderful things, that's how I found them. The Elders, they took me in and eventually I came down from the sky as my soul settled back into my body and I became more human. They taught maths, English, Latin, you name it they taught me it. I learnt how to fight in every style possible and I learnt how to control what I was. All because they need me to be the best I can be." My summary of live at the Temple was brief and missed out the experiments, the torture and beatings, who wants to bog down an already complicated life story with harsh truths. Who wanted to hear that I was beaten to teach me discipline and respect, that in fact they forced me to hurt others as punishment, nobody wanted to hear that story.

"They told me what I was, what my soul was and what it meant. They –" I groaned and tugged at my hair in frustration and Stefan placed a calming hand on my shoulder. "I am trying to think of a way to explain it too you, to use the right words so you don't think I am crazy Stefan, so you understand and don't hate me. I just-" he moved forward and hugged me tightly. Repeating the soft words and soothing motions I had used to comfort him only days before. It felt good to for once be taken care of when it was always me mothering everyone else, taking their pain away and making them feel happy and good. All too soon Stefan pulled back to look me dead on in the eyes.

"I could never judge you Anya, you have been a good friend to me, you have saved my life twice now and you are somehow taming Damon. Here you have been helping me the past few days trying to save me again for a third time. I would never judge you, just take your time." I rested his back against the canopy bed and just sat their waiting as I tried to clear my head and return my hitched breath to normal. There was no way to put it gently, to ease him into it. I had to use the word, the dirty word I never used ever in reference to myself because it was false and painted the wrong image because at the end of the day I wasn't worthy of the title. But now to make him understand I had to use the word that had gone unspoken by me for years because otherwise he would never understand.

"They called me a variety of things, all in different languages and dialects but at the end of the day, each word had the same meaning. Malaikat, Engel, Anxo, Ange, Angelo, Angleus – all in different tongues but at the end of the day they all mean the same thing. Angel." The final word of what I truly am filled the room, echoing eerily off the cobbled walls. Stefan looked at me with a slack jaw and eyes bright with excitement, he not only believed me but he seemed so happy about it all. We sat in silence as he stared at me as if I would vanish into thin air any second.

Eventually the silence broke and what I was sank in, so Stefan sat there brimming with curiosity and I explained it all to him. Why I was in pain when people died near me and what it meant. The elusive Other's on going fight to find me, the Temple and what it was like. I even showed him some of the stuff I could do and by the end of it we were laughing about it all as if it was nothing. It felt good to have told him but at the same time, we didn't have long till either Elena or Damon returned, so I needed him to agree to eat something soon. He was currently marvelling over the fact I could compel anyone, we had gone over it five or six times now but he couldn't get over the idea I had more control than Damon. This was almost as bad as when I had told him how strong and fast I was, I was forced into a demonstration for that one, I tried to get him to believe that I did it to him and that's how he made it down to the cell and didn't hurt Amber in the first place but as I wanted he thought it was his own decision. So he didn't believe it at all.

"I am sorry but I don't believe you can compel a Vampire, I mean no-one can compel a Vampire. Its just impossible." He argued back, we had taken to sitting on the canopy bed my feet were resting on Stefan as he lounged on the opposite end of the bed from me. He was so much happier than he had been in days, laughing and joking, asking question upon question about what I was and what I could do. He was a small boy whop had been placed in front of a new toy and couldn't help but keep playing with. I let his happiness seep into me and all apprehension about ever telling him was gone and replaced with satisfaction at making someone as happy as what I was, he was so smug that I had trusted him and at the same time so grateful. He was much less suicidal and broody.

"Well I can okay and I will prove it. When Damon comes home I will get him to do something ridiculous if that's what it takes for you to just believe me. You know Stefan, I tell you I am technically an Angel, the only one of my kind on earth, that I can do magical things and once was able to fly but my ability to compel people sounds ridiculous to you. An ability you already have yourself!" I shook my head laughing at how easily he had accepted everything else, probably because he had seen evidence of it all already but the one thing I had physically used against him and he wouldn't believe it. "And I was worried you would think I was crazy, you clearly have issues, now on a more serious note are you ready to go hunting now that I have shared my deepest darkest secrets with you and made us best friends forever?" I teased earning a slap on my jean clad leg, I kicked him in response as he rolled his eyes at me. He pushed my legs off and stood up stretching his tired and weak body.

"Consider me persuaded," his smile warming reached out to me as I leaped up and made my way over to the door skipping with glee, I was in such a good mood. If Elena and Damon were to come home now they would feel happiness slamming against them, the dark mood of the house banished for now at least until the next Salvatore drama.

"Now what are we hunting today? Squirrel, bunny, puppy maybe?" my laugh filled every inch of the house as Stefan and I walked at a relaxed human pace upstairs, he made a move to shove me but I danced out of his reach and he growled loudly.

"I don't eat puppies. You have been spending far too much time with Damon." He glared and I made weird faces at his back as he pulled on a jacket before walking towards the door, I couldn't help but follow him, his could mood was like the sweetest heroin and I was a junky for a good mood. This was the best high ever, the high of helping someone and making everything seem golden and perfect in their broken world.

**If you Review, I promise a lot of Damon in the next Chapter but not just that it will be shirtless Damon.**


	12. Chapter 12: Something Else

**A/N: ****Thanks for reading, here is the next chapter, sorry it's a bit shorter than usual but it seemed to stop naturally where it did. Its al Damon/Anya so I hope you enjoy it. Also encase people misinterpret what I have written, in my storyline Stefan and Anya will be close friends, nothing less nothing more. Stefan coming from a very religious background is fascinated by what she is and what it means, just encase people think I will be playing her off the two brothers, it's not to say Damon won't get the wrong idea later but it will be perfectly innocent. **

**Oh and there is a line in this chapter inspired by one of your reviews, see if you can find it. **

**As usual I don't own anything, just my story line. Please Read and Review =] **

I crept round the side of a tree as Stefan and I hunted, he was close behind me mimicking my every move perfectly as we prepared to catch him some lunch, I had decided to show him how it was truly done. I let a gentle call out into the woods, it was so inviting so sweet that it would draw anything in and just as I had wanted rabbits began to hop closer and closer to where we were, birds glided down to rest of branches and all kinds of woodland animals flocked to my position. It was like a scene from a Disney movie all the animals coming out to greet Snow White, a great Elk moved into the centre and let it see me as I let out the sweet call again, I moved to brush my hand over it smooth coat of fur as I soothingly called out again. I calmed the beast and it let me rest my head against its strong neck as I wrapped my arms around it, an apology was muttered along with words of passing and thanks as with one swift jolt I broke its neck. I waved Stefan over and he instantly took to drinking from the elegant beast that had offered itself up as a meal. Once he was done we left the elk there so that other hunters in these woods could share the meat, the foxes and no doubt wolves near by would be able to eat from the body we had left for them. We walked easily through the woods back towards the house and Stefan complimented me on my peaceful technique, suggesting I always hunted with him, he hated attacking the animals. I laughed an agreement and he took to questioning me on being an Angel again.

"Okay, I have a good one. Do you have wings? I mean Angels are always drawn with wings, so where are yours?" He looked at me with dancing emerald eyes and I smiled up at him as we lazily walked home together, I had to give it to him finally an imaginative question with a complicated answer. Yes and no because I did have wings but not in the way he thought I did.

"Well I do but not in the way you think. They aren't always there, they are made of the white power that's in me and I have only ever used them once before. They are all white and floaty, The Elders told me that they look like gold and silk, a mixture between fairy wings and butterfly wings. They apparently look very beautiful and fragile but I can't just make them appear anytime I want, it's like a defence mechanism." My hands tumbled like a trapeze act as I tried to describe them, I had never seen them myself as I don't remember the time I ever used them before, I am going on Mark's description of what they looked like and even for them to appear that time I had to almost die.

"What happened to you the one time you used them?" Stefan interrupted my thoughts with the one question I was thinking of myself, I turned to him stopping our walk.

"I almost died. Remember I told you about The Others? Well Keres she was a one of them but the Elders captured her, she was the most vicious creature I have ever met, she murdered on a regular basis and I was terrified of her. The Elders they knew all this but kept her in the Temple regardless and one night she _escaped_ and we ended up fighting. She almost killed me, I don't remember anything after she staked me, that's when the wings appeared and next thing I knew I was awake and covered in her blood. It was the first time I ever intentionally killed another person." I sighed deeply, as I lied to Stefan. She hadn't escaped, they had forced me into her holding area as a punishment and if I survived then that was great but they needed me to be able to kill and defend myself. After that, once I had proved I had wings, they backed off a little bit and after a series of repeated killings they let me go off on my own. They brought Vampires in off the streets in order to train me up, just average everyday Vampires were slaughtered so I could be the best I could be. It was a sad fact but at the same time I wouldn't change anything because this is who I am and I need to be able to protect the Petrovas- apparently. Death and I walk hand in hand each and every day, I guess if anything I was more an Angel of Death than anything else. I was yet to go anywhere and not have people die around me, maybe its just how the world works or maybe I am just a walking curse, I was Midas expect whatever I touched turned dead and not to gold. The shrill ringing of a phone made me jump all but out of my skin, my feet flung out in front of me as I slipped cartoon style onto my backside. Stefan repressed a laugh as he answered his mobile, though next it was his turn to jump as the banshee howls of Elena bashed his ear drums with concern.

"Elena, calm down. I have just been hunting in the wood with Anya, I am on my way home right now." He shook his head laughing as he closed the phone shut, beaming broadly. He stood there emanating happiness like the sun did light. I was so happy at what I had been able to achieve, sharing the truth with Stefan made him feel worthy and I guess in some ways the fact I was able to merely exist proved to him that there was good in this world, that things happen for a reason and I had given him hope. A reason to keep fighting. It was this, the knowledge that I had given him, the secret I had entrusted him with that would ensure he would fight his hunger every inch of the way because I needed his help, I hadn't asked for it but he knew I needed it regardless, so he would keep himself going to help me protect those he loved. He would keep going because he loved Elena too much to hurt her through killing himself.

"Go get her, I am going to stroll back to the boarding house and see Damon anyway." I smiled up at Stefan as we continued to stand paused in our gentle walk, he wanted to run to Elena and who was I to deny the lovers their moment. So I patted him on the back before shoving him in the direction of the house.

"You sure? I don't want to just abandon you out here." Stefan smiled and I knew he honestly meant it, he wouldn't abandon any of his friends, I gave him a small nod and the sweetest smile I knew I had and that was all it took to convince him. He was the only real friend I had ever truly had, after Mason of course and as I walked back towards the house following in Stefan's blurred footsteps I couldn't help but relax in the warmth of the sun, maybe here I could finally settle.

The sun curved around my skin making every where on me it touched sing with happiness as it warmed me up and I closed my eyes just letting my heart guide me towards the house. My feet expertly moved and avoided rocks and trees that would hurt me, I could guide myself to anywhere that I loved with closed eyes, I came with a built in homing beacon to those I was close too. I was connected subconsciously to all those I befriended and cared for. Soon I found myself bouncing on my feet in some strange dance as I hummed the tune to some old happy song, my body swayed to music that was foreign to my ears but one my soul knew well, in my mind danced an image of myself, Rose and Katarina dancing around a field enjoying the sun laughing as the elderly woman who owned the land sat happily humming the tune that I now was, apparently there was a time back then too when I enjoyed the comfort of friends. I laughed now as I remembered the joke Rose had been telling at the time, she herself hated Katarina but knew it was my job to protect her so for the sake of our friendship she endured the spiteful child's company, Rose had longed to be in the sun again that day so as I showed Katarina the cottage I ran inside took Rose's hand in mine and led her gingerly out into the sun, no matter how many times we did this she always thought it would fail and she would burn, we danced hand in hand in the sun spinning and sharing jokes the three of us, carefree for that brief moment. I remember thinking that it would all be alright and though it may have been eventually for the other pair; I knew the pain that eventually befell me at the hands of Klaus and Elijah. My feet rooted themselves to the ground with hesitation and my eyes fell open as I eyed up the grand Boarding House, I wondered how much pain I would have to endure this time around, who would I die to protect?

As if I my body decided to answer my minds question, I found myself inside the house in less then the blink of an eye, I moved through the house, my feet carried me somewhere that my mind hadn't requested. Even I was confused by my movements, I hadn't asked to walk up those familiar stairs and take this route but something else was controlling my actions. When my eyes found the beauty I seemed to be searching for my feet stopped and I laughed. Water ran down the perfectly formed stomach muscles of this Adonis, slipping seductively down the muscles to hide in the cotton towel that hung low on his hips, I dragged my eyes up to meet Damon's were he stood very blasé and calm about the whole situation. I had never seen Damon shirtless before and the feelings it created with me was a fire of pure passion, I was in that 'if he comes any closer I will just take him' kind of mood. The most dangerous mood I could ever been in, when I was angry I was destructive but the kind face of someone I cared for could snap me from it but there was nothing that could fight my desire. Desire is a strong emotion and once I started down this road I wouldn't stop and I also can't control my own powers when I give in, people say sex is a magical and loving experience, well with me it was literally very magical. Weather was changed, stars grew brighter, people in the vicinity would grow giddy and drunk off my happiness, everything I could influence in the area would be effect by my elevated mood but in a good way, everything I influenced would become the best it could be. I couldn't describe the effect it had but though it was a good one, it was one that would mean I was bound to the person I slept with. I wasn't made for one night stands, I had only ever slept with one person previous and words honestly can't describe the bond between us. It happened under friendship the first time, I was curious about the experience and they indulged my curiosity. The bond created wasn't one of love but of the strongest friendship and maybe with just a slight punch of lust. Being what I was meant when I became someone's friend it was for life, when I loved it was with all of my heart, I didn't know any other way than to give those I cared for everything I had. This time however with Damon would be different if I let it reach that stage, we wouldn't do it out of friendship, it would be something else, something new and that terrified me.

"See something you like?" his eyebrows did that dance, the sexy dance that they always did and he loved that they did it too. I shook my head laughing and diverted the conversation because frankly I seen something I did like and I didn't trust myself anymore and I certainly didn't trust him.

"Take it you heard the good news about Stefan?" I moved to run my fingers across the carefully arranged row of old books on Damon's dresser. Distracting my eyes from looking at him any longer, my heart was racing and I cursed myself for being so, well human I guess. A hand slammed down next to me, making me jump out of my skin, it wasn't a friendly action but a violent one.

"Why do you always do that? Answer a question with another question; it drives me to the point where I want to snap your pretty white neck." Damon spoke with gritted teeth, and my skin crawled with bumps as I wanted nothing more than to shy away, I was a scolded child seeking refuge from an angry adult. Of course if you were to compare ages if who had been around longest Damon was the child in comparison to me but when he exerted his anger I felt so small and shy. He was the only person apart from tormentors in another life who I could remember rendering me this way, The Elders could do it, apparently Klaus could too, so no I wasn't going to take it. I was a strong person, I had saved Stefan and I wouldn't give into Damon's anger and let him make me feel small. I wheeled round to face up to him, my clothes brushed against his bare skin and towel clad waist. Blue flames danced in my eyes as I prepared to give him a piece of my mind, ice watched me unblinkingly. Shock was apparent on his face along with annoyance and a soft imprint of admiration too. I poked him in the chest as I spoke words so carefully chosen it scared me.

"You are so arrogant sometimes. After all this time, haven't you realised I am no Caroline Forbes Damon, you can't scare me or compel me into doing what you want. Have you ever considered I don't want to tell you some things, like you didn't want to tell me about Katherine and Elena? A pretty vital part of everything going on here!" My voice rose towards the end as I became mad, hwy hadn't he told me about Katherine and Elena? Everyone else seemed to know! I bet Bonnie knew, I had seen her once before but knew her to be Elena's best friend, so she would know. John Gilbert probably knew, I had been here helping Damon, helping Stefan and he hadn't once told me. Prick.

"You never asked." Was his cocky retort, using my own previous answer against me and all it seemed to do was make my temper flare, I let a howl of frustration out and I found myself leaning up to shout right in his face. I seemed to think that closeness would make my point much more clearly and would allow it to stand out and stick in his mind.

"You self-righteous, cocky-" his lips found mine silencing my angry rant, I stood frozen as his hands found my face holding me, his lips moving against mine smoothly. The cool touch of his lips put out the fire of my anger but sparked an inferno that would kill us both eventually. I sprang into life as my lips answered his, they moved in sync and I ran my hands through his black hair, one of his knotted into the mess at the back of my own head and I heard books crash to the floor as we stumbled into the dresser, we were too consumed by one another to bother paying attention to what was going on. I began to lose grip on reality, Petrova Doppelgangers drifted into the back of my mind, Stefan and Rick became obsolete, all I could see, feel, think and taste was Damon. His hands slipped slowly down me as like a blind man memorizing each curve, up and down several times until forcefully he gripped my waist and I was taken over to the bed, I let him carry me. We lay down on the bed, not once did we stop our kiss, as my hands ran down his back, it was muscular and smooth. I found as he moved to kiss my neck, as if answering a call my body arched up into his and he took to peeling off my grey jumper before returning to kiss me passionately, my eyes drifted shut blissfully and I let go.

Hours later when I sat up in a giddy haze, my clothes were long gone scattered about the floor I was naked and for once I didn't care. I held the soft cotton bed covers of Damon's bed too me as I looked out his great window wall. The stars were glittering softly; they danced brighter than I had ever seen them, the moon seemed bigger and more flamboyantly bright too. It cast a spotlight across the lawn and up into the room where Damon and I had spent hours together, after all practise makes perfect and when too people are as supernatural as we are, you can go for hours without stopping. My muscles were completely relaxed and felt like goo. In fact my fingers became to trace a smile that I feared was permanent, I moved myself so I was facing Damon and much like I had this morning I watched him. The moonlight caught his own pale skin and my finger reached out and gently traced the lines of his muscular chest and I couldn't help but wonder what he would think if he knew he had just slept with an Angel, repeatedly and it was far from innocent. I moved the hair that had dipped down to cover his eyes, this was my new obsession clearly brushing the hair from Damon's face and looking at him and wondering what it meant for our relationship. But seriously, what did all this mean for us now? A bond had been made, one that I would never been able to fight. Beneath my palm where it lay on his chest, I could feel him begging to stir, I moved delicately back to sitting looking out the window, with my back to him because I didn't want him too think I was weird for watching him sleep. I tucked the blankets up under my arm covering my breast but leaving my back bare. A smile sprung up on me as I felt familiar cool lips kissing at the back of my neck as Damon's arms snaked around me holding me to his chest. He moved me so I was leaning against him between his legs as he leaned against the headboard causally, the action seemed so relaxed and natural; as if we had been doing this all along.

"Well that was new." Damon spoke completely happily behind me and I could feel the slight laugh vibrating in his chest, I laughed along with him as I traced tingling patterns up his arms with the light finger tip of my left hand, as my right hand has been taken prisoners in the loving hold of Damon's left hand. Both hand slotted together like puzzle pieces.

"Frankly I would have described it as mind blowing but I will settle for new." I teased him earning laugh and I somehow felt like that was a reward, it occurred to me in my bliss filled moment that I was falling for Damon, hard. It was inevitable with him being as good looking and charming as he was but I still felt as if my heart was spiralling out of control. I was in way too deep but I couldn't and wouldn't run away from this, unless he needed me to leave then of course I would but as long as he wanted me, I would be right here. It's a strange thing this falling in love business, I mean though we had similar personality traits, everything about what I was and what he was should repel one another but then again he didn't know what I was. Though it shouldn't matter really, he should hate me and want to kill me but now I knew he never could. He was black magic and I was white, too opposites existing peacefully together if only all Vampires could like me as much as the Salvatores did. One brother I was falling for and the other was pretty much my best friend. I wondered what would happened if and when the Others arrived, I had wanted the brothers to befriend me so they would fight on my side but I had grown more attached to them than I had ever thought possible. So when the Others arrive I know they will stand with me but will I let them? Could I risk their lives? Damon moved and drew my attention back to him as his chest sagged indicating he was about to speak again.

"That's strange; it would appear I didn't bite you. Not once. I always bite them." He speculated out loud as he checked my body out for any signs of puncture wounds and he was right he didn't bite me, though I knew through studying with Mason that with Vampires sex and blood were tied, they seduced their prey in order to feed, so they couldn't help but feed from their partners as they had sex. It was instinct but obviously Vegetarian Vampires were the exception, they hunted for food and after a period of time the two would become separate much like in the case of Stefan and Elena. She had shared with me that he had never once bite her not even in intimate moments. So it was no wonder Damon was so surprised at the fact he hadn't bitten me, he preyed on girls regularly, he should have bit me.

"I mustn't smell as good as the others." I remarked gently trying to sooth his confusion but I could feel him shaking his head behind me in disagreement.

"No it isn't that, you smell fantastic." He dipped down so he could whisper in my ear before beginning to kiss my neck. I felt his fangs expand down and touch my neck but as soon as they did that they snapped back up. Damon couldn't bring himself to feed from me, he leaned back against the headboard and hugged me tighter. "So tell me little Miss Anya, how much did you think about my god like body and how I would ravish you endlessly, before this afternoon?"

"Not once actually, you may find it hard to believe but I am quite innocent at heart." He laughed loudly in surprise and smacked his arm playfully were it was sprawled across my stomach. "Well Mr Salvatore or is it Heffner? How often did you think about it hm?" with his very annoying Vampire speed he flipped me over so I was pinned to the bed, the covers just scantly covering my modesty, not that he hadn't seen it all in great detail but I still felt uncomfortable being so exposed. So I thanked god the covers managed to fall where they did. His eyes were dark now as he laughed down at me tormenting me with ease, what he didn't know was that I could easily throw him off me but I didn't want too. So I let him hold me to the bed as he was barely leaning above me, our bodies slightly pressed together but not completely because I could feel he was apprehensive about crushing me with his weight, so he support it easily. He leaned down and began to kiss me gentle this time, it was rather sweet actually. He pulled back to speak and repeated kissing gentle after a few words he spoke.

" I have-" kiss, "though about this" kiss, "Over and-" kiss, "over" kiss, "again." Once he spoke the last word I reached up and put my hand on the back of his head deepening the kiss holding him too me. We started off at rapid pace again, the amount of energy we both had was outstanding. Damon pulled back and smirked triumphantly at me before kissing down and my neck heading south for my breast. I giggled and I felt him smirked against my neck, as his fingers traced patterns down my shoulder teasing me before pulling the covers off me and over both of us. His hands took to holding my bare waist and though I knew I should jump at how cold he was compared to me I kind of liked it. But as before things could continued the rude ringing of my mobile burst the lust filled bubble, I scrambled out of the covers and looked about for my phone. I recognised the ringtone immediately it was the one I had set for Rick, I felt like a naughty teenager who was about to get caught out. I was having visions of him being in my house looking for me and I would have to explain where I was, I cringed at the thought as I swung my legs off the bed, no longer caring that I was completely exposed as I looked for my phone, as I went to stand up Damon caught me by the waist.

"Leave it." He pleaded with me with big blue eyes as I turned to face him, I swiftly kissed him before I would have to explain that I couldn't because clearly something was up.

"I honestly would if that was just a normal ringtone but it is a specific ringtone for a specific person, who doesn't call me this late unless its important," with a cheeky eye roll, he reluctantly let me go to answer my phone I spied it next to Damon's shirt, I answered the phone as I pulled on the shirt covering up the top half of my body at least as I moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Damon lay with his hands behind his head watching, I opened my mouth to say hello into the phone but was cut off by Rick shouting at me.

"Anya! Where are you?" Rick was out of breath and apparently concerned, shocked and mad. I knew him so well I could identify all this feelings within his voice at once. I too began to panic as my wild ran wild with various scenarios of what had happened to him.

"What's going on?" I all but snapped down the phone, Rick sighed and I could just picture him running his hand through his hair in frustration. My sharpness drew the attention of Damon and he began to slowly sit up, to listen better or just to see if I was alright I wasn't sure, all I knew was that if Rick didn't answer soon I was going to run to him half dressed or not I would track him down.

"Isobel, she is here in Mystic Falls, she –" he paused confused and just baffled by everything that was going on and I felt my own jaw slacken in shock. "She wants a meeting with Elena." He let out a deep breath relieved he had shared with me and that's when I felt a strange feeling tickle at the back of my mind, I couldn't quite put a finger on it so I ignored it and set about doing what came naturally. Caring for those around me.

"Right, are you okay? Do you need me to come get you? Talk this out? I don't mind I can be there in literally seconds." Damon seemed to groan behind me so I quickly slapped his leg and signalled for him to be quiet as I mouthed him a sorry. He took my hand is his and yanked it till I fell down on top of him, I shook my head at him to stop because I was clearly still on the phone, he wiggled those damm eyebrows as he smirked playfully at me. Thankfully Rick interrupted before Damon could do anything more.

"No, I am fine I just wanted you to know first. We will talk in the morning." Rick mumbled with a slight yawn, it had been a long day of distracting Damon for him and well seeing your dead ex-wife can really take it out of you.

"Well I might pop across and tell Damon and Stefan whats going on tonight, so they can decide how and what to tell Elena but I will see you first thing tomorrow. Just be safe and I love you." I spoke sincerely down the phone as I finally identified the feeling tickling at the back of my mind it was apprehension for his safety, Isobel was back and no-one knew just how far she would go too succeed and who she had brought along with her.

"I will, love you too kiddo." He clicked the phone shut and I let my own fall onto the bed, my body took to falling onto Damon as I buried my face in his chest. His hands took to stroking my back and playing with my hair, the two things that relaxed me the most and he seemed to already know them, it made me smile. Though it was short lived, Isobel was here and that meant whatever she was planning was going down soon, I chewed my lip nervously. I wanted to hide away and never have to face any of this because in the pit of my stomach I knew Isobel was working with the Others and that wasn't good news, I groaned and clutched to Damon tighter.

"Look Anya, its too late at night to go bothering Stefan and Elena with this. Isobel will still be here in the morning." His voice seemed to dissolve my nerves and I shyly looked up at his through hair covered eyes, he was so relaxed and beautiful. This kind Damon was a side of him I hadn't seen before. I moved up to kiss him on the lips softly but he reacted with such fierceness I almost laughed and he was back. Good Damon clearly put back away in his box. He pulled me up to him so I was sat straddling him, I pulled back from the kiss to just looked down at him, he cockily looked back up and me and I laughed, I couldn't help but laugh. He stroked my back gently as he spoke.

"If you keep this up, you may just be the death of me." Though his tone was teasing, he had no idea just how serious that statement was, if we kept going like this then maybe I would be the death of him. I couldn't bare that thought, I reached forward and ran my thumb across his cheek, he seemed to freeze as he just stared me out curiously. What was going on here? What were we? This had clearly been a mistake, I had now successfully endangered his life but I didn't care because I knew I could protect him, even if he didn't know it himself. Though if this was to continue I couldn't lie to him for much longer, I needed him to be okay and safe, for him to be able to do that he would have to be aware of the impending dangers lurking for me in the darkness. I would have to tell him what I was, who the Other were and most importantly about my past with Katarina. I may not understand it fully myself but once I am sure I can talk it all out with Stefan I will tell Damon the whole truth and hope that he doesn't sky rocket with rage or turn me away when he doesn't believe me.

"If we keep this up, you may be shocked to learn just how right you are about that statement." I gave him a weak smile, I leaned away as if to get off him but he followed and kissed me again softer and sweeter than he ever had. Good Damon was resurfacing again, he held my face in his hands, he didn't say anything and I was frightened to meet his eyes so I stared down at my fretting hands, what if being involved with me got him killed? Got Stefan killed? I couldn't bear that kind of guilt; I wouldn't be able to handle it. People had died around me yes but never anyone I was close too. My chin was tilted upwards to meet get another soft kiss, I sighed and gave in as I kissed him back. This time when we returned to bed it wasn't with the animalist passion, it was with something else and I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was.


	13. Chapter 13: Forget You

**A/N: Okay here is the next chapter two updates in 24 hours, not bad. =] Again Damon/Anya moment at the end a nice quiet ending before all hell breaks loose in the next few chapters. Enjoy Read and Review.**

**I own nothing. **

Well wasn't this just typical? Something in my life goes right and I spent a frankly mind blowing, jaw droppingly, amazing night with Damon and now I am spending my day sat in my house looking up real estate with Rick because his psycho ex-wife has taken Jeremy Gilbert as collateral. After Damon and I eventually emerged from his room, we had a group meeting in Rick's classroom this morning and it was arranged for Elena to meet with Isobel, she asked for a device that Damon received from Miss Pearl, when refused she threatened. It was classic Isobel, though ignoring my advice the Salvatores powered ahead with their plan, so Rick and I had decided to take matters into our own hands. I had offered to deal with Isobel on my own terms but it was deemed dangerous and reckless by Damon, I was touched by his concern for my safety but I hated being treated like a child. So I called Mark and he sent me a list detailing all the houses for lease, rent and sitting empty in the surrounding area. Rick looked over my shoulder as we scrolled through his list, Mark warned us to be careful if Isobel was there it meant she may be involved with the Others, seen as not even the Elders were able to track her over the past few years. We were both silent as we read, every so often he would point one out and we would discuss the pros and cons of her living there before moving on. Previously we had discussed his feelings towards Isobel and had that over the top heart to heart before assembling the group to discuss matters. Though I hadn't told him about Stefan now knowing, perhaps I should share that now, seen as things were already so tense. A bit of good news might relieve the tension.

"I told Stefan the truth yesterday." I spoke as my eyes stayed glued to the computer screen, he sighed before placing his hand on my shoulder with a gentle squeeze.

"Well I am proud you finally told someone and it does explain his remarkable recovery." He laughed and I turned to face up at my uncle, he looked like a human version of lion, I had always thought this. Strong, brave, very family orientated and fiercely loyal- the best thing that had ever happened to me, my only family apart from Mark and frankly if he wasn't here I don't know what I would do. He ruffled my messy hair and I pushed him back a little.

"Thanks for that but I thought he should know, plus he is probably the only real friend I will ever have here. He may as well know."I shrugged and smiled up at Rick, down playing the whole situation like I did most big things it was my only way of coping with the huge stuff. Act like it was no big deal and maybe that's what it would become just that, no big deal. I noticed Rick was looking at me curiously with blue eyes the same as mine, though not blood related we did have the same colour eyes strangely enough the one and only thing I was sure was coincidence in my life. The only difference between our eyes was the intensity of my eye colour, so bright that humans often thought they were contact lenses. So that's why I knew what it meant when they changed colour, they were a human version of my own and currently they were clouded over with concern.

"Did you tell Damon?" that tone was the one he only used when he was leading up to give me some kind of fatherly lecture but he was unsure if I would listen to him or not as we weren't actually related and no matter how many times I confirmed for him that I didn't care, that to me he was an Uncle and a Father figure. I didn't care what genetics told us.

"No…Why?" I asked sceptical of where this was actually going. What did it matter if I had told Damon, I mean if I was an outsider looking in I would have expected myself to tell Damon first after all he was the one I spent all my time with when I wasn't with Rick but I hadn't out of fear of his reaction. I told Stefan because he needed that good news, Damon may joke when he refers to his brother as St Stefan but in some ways it is true, he has such a good soul for someone with such a murky past but he has over come all that to become the gentle person he is now.

"Its just, I don't want to sound like an overbearing father but I don't want you getting hurt, Damon and I have become a strange sort of friends because of you, so I am going to tell you this because I want you to be completely aware of the situation before going any further. I think he is in love with Elena, the way he watches her, reacts to her being in danger. Just be careful. I don't want to have to kill him." I reached forward and hugged Rick, and murmured a thank you as he hugged me back. He smelt like old books and liquor, he was a slightly overbearing father figure at time but I loved him. Plus he was right. I had thought it too myself, Damon was in love with Elena and how could he not be she was perfect. She was Katherine and me? Well I wasn't anyone, I was in far too deep and I need to break free as soon as possible, once Isobel was dealt with I would run as far as I could into my own mind until no-one could reach me, until I was strong enough to face the goodbyes. My phone buzzed in my pocket, a text from Mark with an address on it, it read "Try here kiddo x" at the bottom, handing my phone to Rick I began to scroll down our list of addresses and sure enough there it was. A large white house and the perfect grey area for Vampire. It was stunning house, one that fit with Isobel eccentric nature, one that I was certain she was living in.

"We got her." I said wickedly, I was surprisingly happy but also the vindictive thoughts of wringing her neck scared me. She was a strange creature was Isobel and though when she was alive her and I were quite close, I loved her as much as I love Rick but not anymore. When she left us, she left any and all chance of me feeling compassion for her. Well that's what I have told myself all these years anyway, that her being gone meant nothing to me. In some ways it helped me cope, to shut her out to a place she couldn't hurt me. Perhaps Damon and I weren't as different as I thought, he had shut out the boy from in his mind and I had shut out Isobel's memory from mine.

"Now what?" Rick spoke with a voice that echoed my own but at the same time he already knew my plan, so he relaxed into the computer chair as I evacuated it. There was only one way to deal with this now and that was my way. I would go deal with Isobel as he kept an eye on the Salvatores and their plans, keeping me updated, the last thing I needed was one of them running in head strong and ruining my plan. Whatever my plan really was, I was sort of playing this all by ear, after getting into Isobel's lair I had no idea what I would do because I didn't know what I would be faced with but I did plan to make an entrance one she wouldn't be able to ignore.

"I am going to pay her a visit and save Jeremy Gilbert." With that I got up and headed to the door, reading to punch away my feelings of jealously over the stupid perfect Elena, feelings of anger at Isobel for ever leaving and just general anger at how much my life sucked.

When I arrived at her lair I didn't bother with formalities, I skipped gleefully up the drive way I was buzzing with an eager anger, I couldn't wait to exert my power on someone who deserved to be hurt. Isobel needed to feel the years of hurt felt by Rick and by myself the sense of abandonment I felt when she left was so black that it taught me not to get too close to anyone else, a rule since being here I had abandoned with the Salvatores but only for her to resurface the cause of the rule. Plus Mark did say I should practise using my gift as it were, it was about time I let them loose. As I stood on the rough gravel outside her torture filled bat cave, my feet were clad in black boots with a chain at the heel lopping round the back, tight black jeans, a tight short sleeved black top and my leather jacket. My hair twisted up in a lazy bun so it would interfere with my face, if you were to ask an onlooker what I was they most definitely wouldn't say Angel, I guess that's why I dressed this way to make me appear further from the truth. For my own safety or too indulge my own insecurity I wasn't quite sure, I just knew I liked it. Taking three deep breaths I let the band around my powers snap, it was the one thing that kept them under control and soon as it evaporated into nothing, the power surged throughout my body and I felt more alive than I had ever before. My skin seemed to glow at the welcome use of my power as it circulated my body mingling with my breath and blood so that every single inch of me was super charged with power, I no longer needed to channel it anywhere because it was already there laying in wait. I looked through eyes with vision so clear it was phenomenal, the vision of a predator, like a camera I could zoom my eyes to see detail unseen by humans. My ears could pick up sounds from miles and miles around, every scratch and whisper of a word or movement was heard by me. The whimpers of John Gilbert as he nursed wounds inside the house showed me he was involved with Isobel just as I had thought but clearly she didn't agree with his methods anymore and had taken her anger out on him. I moved with a speed that not even The Others could trace and with a vicious grin I found myself thankful for all the death and pain that was in Mystic Falls because were it not for that then I wouldn't be this strong and completely powerful, I knew that if they were to come to me this time I would be more than ready for them. Death and I walked hand in hand everyday so that I could grow stronger and I was grateful for my eerie companion. For the first time in my new life as this, I felt ready, ready for Isobel but also ready for The Others.

With a raised hand I send out a blast of power that rippled through the air, as it hit the doors they flew off the hinges and it rained splinters of wood as I walked slowly and calmly through the now empty doorway. My footsteps echoed off the marble hall way as I walked in the direction John's whimpers came from. Two henchmen appeared running at me as if they had the ability to stop me, I smiled at them as their thoughts screamed compulsion at me, Isobel had compelled these poor men to do her bidding, with a small click of my fingers they collapsed to the floor and I walked passed them with an air of elegance. I had only sent them to sleep, no injury would come to them, I didn't have it in me to hurt the innocent, no matter how hard I tried my powers wouldn't and couldn't hurt someone innocent even if I wanted them to they wouldn't. It was all because if I killed out of revenge or just malice then I would no longer be at heart an Angel, a built in defensive mechanism much like my wings to ensure I always stayed true to who and what I was. I rounded the corner into a small white room where Jeremy and John Gilbert were being held, two burly men again made a move to grab me, I held my hand up and they froze just as I had intended before snapping my fingers and letting them slip gently to the ground to sleep. I wondered just how many people Isobel had been keeping as pets in this house with her. I nudged one of the men with my feet onto his back, his neck and arms were covered in bite marks, clearly they were food and not just muscle. A slow condescending clap from behind me indicated Isobel's arrival. She had been hovering about outside the room for a while but I hadn't felt the need to acknowledge her let alone attack her, there was a procedure of how to handle people like Isobel and I needed to make sure Jeremy was safe first. Innocent lives came before all else in my world but then again that isn't new information to anyone.

"I must say, that was actually impressive." Isobel's voice was so patronising that had Jeremy not still been hovering unsure of what was going on, I may had punched her so hard she flew through all the walls in this damm lair. I looked over at the intimidated frame of Jeremy Gilbert; we had met once or twice before nothing special but enough that he knew who I was and my potential involvement in all things supernatural in Mystic Falls. I had been around him long enough those two meetings that I was able to read his emotions and know of his feelings for a Vampire named Anna. Teenage boys weren't exactly that quiet with their thoughts. I gave him a soft smile and evoked the emotion of trust in him so that when I spoke my instructions to him next he would follow them exactly because I had caused him to trust me, that and he knew I was his best hope for getting out of here.

"Jeremy, there is a car out front go wait in it and don't move." With a voice that was as strong as I felt and more confident that anything I had ever heard, I told Jeremy what to do, without hesitation he got up and ran out to the car. There is another advantage to letting my powers run free, when it came to compulsion I didn't need to say a single word, all it would take was a glance and that's all I did to John Gilbert. With one sly look I forced John Gilbert to remain standing exactly where he was, as Isobel's earned boy he needed to see what was about to come of his partner in crime. He was all but glued to the spot his mind blocking all of his pleas and instructions to move because a higher power had said no. Okay I wasn't exactly a higher power just higher up in the scale of things I guess. The ghostly hand of Isobel reached out for me and I spun round in a pirouette that would be a ballet dancer's dream and used the power within me to throw her against the wall behind her, the house wailed as the force of my throw caused a crack to fracture its way up the wall. She lay slumped on the floor her mouth gapping like a fish completely taken off guard as plaster fell down on top of her like snow. I walked towards her with the predatory elegance of a cat as my hips swayed gently, each step deliberately slow even for the agonizing human pace, drawing out my approach to further spark the fear that lay in her eyes betraying her cool resolve. Once in front of her I stood for a few seconds and she looked up at me with pleading eyes, the same eyes she taught me to use on Rick when I wanted something, a memory that was once sweet now tainted by what she was, a selfish, cruel Vampire that I was going to teach a lesson. I picked her up easily and held slammed her off the wall, her body bounced with the force of the action, the wall cracked further and plaster rained down on top of us both like snow flakes. My anger vibrated through the whole house and my breath came quick and fast, the ground beneath me shook with rage as I prepared to give her the one and only warning she would ever receive from me, to leave and never come back.

"I don't care what the hell you think you are doing here but I swear to god I will kill you if you so much as hurt a single innocent person in this town. Whatever it is you have planned I am going to stop with minimum effort on my part, I am not the scared little girl of your memory Isobel. This right now is a mere warning of what I will unleash on to you if you step out of line again. So you and your little lap dog better learn to play by _my rules." _I growled at her and used a slight hint of compulsion, meaning that from here on in she would think of what pain I would unleash on to her before she acted, whether or not it stopped her didn't matter it just meant that from now on in I was the scariest thing in her world and I liked it. I took another deep breath to steady myself and let the house shake more as she breathed out, picture frames crashed to the floor, book tumbled off shelves, plates and glasses smashed in the kitchen.

"You see Isobel, there isn't a damm thing that I haven't learnt to control since you left, so don't be under any illusions that I won't kill you. To protect Rick and more importantly Elena, I will kill you both and not even feel guilty. Here is what you are going to do, as soon as you are finished with the Salvatores I want you to leave town and if you so much as try and mess with Rick's head again I will torture you to the brink of death until you can't take it anymore and stake yourself." My voice was pitch black and my eyes grew so dark I doubt even I would recognise them. I was putting on the bad ass thing and well I enjoyed it. I revealed in my anger and the rage that caused me to show off my more destructive side. You see the inner nature of man is an evil and primal one, take a glance at William Golding's Lord of the Flies if you don't believe me but it isn't just humans, it exists in Wolves, Witches, Vampires and even Angels. The difference between someone that is good and someone that is innately evil is whether or not they chose to fight this primal mind set, take Isobel and myself for an example. She had given into the primal mind set and now used humans as toys, mere playthings she could dispose of when she was done. Where as I was here to protect and fight for the innocent, to care for those who cried and heal the broken, I was the most powerful force of nature on this earth and I can't bring myself to act out of malice. I physically can't hurt anyone that doesn't deserve it.

"You are so beautiful Anya, you have grown into such a strong woman and perhaps if you reconsidered your hatred for me, we could be on the same side. Perhaps you could come with me and I could show you the real world Anya." Isobel spoke with a voice that was sincere but full of scientific curiosity, she was researcher still at heart and there has never been anything that interested her more than me. An earthquake raged the house again as my temper flared, my hand flew out and nailed the wall next to Isobel's face, my arm powered straight through the wall to the other side and I flexed out my hand as it poked through on the other side. The strength I had scared even me but I didn't have time to ponder over the fact that I was so much stronger than what I was when I first arrived in this town, I needed to get Jeremy home and find Stefan to see what has been going on. As I made my way here Alaric updated me that they planned to despell the device and give it to Isobel, which was a very clever move and they planned to meet her later. So I had to act fast and make sure Jeremy was safe and sound at home before standing side by side as they made their deal. I was so much more angry now than I was before because in that one swift punch to the wall I had shown her compassion, I couldn't punch her in the face, I had wanted to so much but when I looked at her memories of her taking me shopping teaching me about Vampires, The Others, all came back to me. her holding Rick's hand as we walked down the streets of the Duke Campus laughing happily about some sly joke he had been making as we basked in the glory of a sweet spring day. I couldn't bring myself to punch her in the face, so I feared if I would ever truly be able to kill her but she needn't know that so I removed my hand from the fist shaped hole in the wall and showed it to Isobel, turning it over and over as I proved to her that it was perfect. Not even a scratched, hint of a bruise, nor a cut in sight. I showed her this to prove just how much I had grown into a strong woman, I wouldn't be bribed and I certainly wouldn't fall short of my promise of unleashing pain if she spilled a single drop of innocent blood in this town. Or at least that's what I told myself. Innocent lives came before all else, so I would have to hope if she did anything I would be strong enough to hurt her like I promised.

"Do we have an understanding, Aunt Dearest?" I spat in her face with a venom voice, she nodded once and I let her fall to the floor in a heap. I shook my head at her as I backed away, I tapped John Gilbert on the shoulder quickly freeing him of his compulsion before walking swiftly back out the house to the car, glass crunched under my feet. The glass of smashed picture frames, the glass of broken vases and windows. I had reeked havoc on this house just to prove a point and as I walked to the car, the scurrying feet of John Gilbert following behind me I couldn't help but feel smug with myself, I had come to send a message and clearly I had succeeded. I listen as Isobel breathed deeply in complete fear of what I had become. Not even she had even anticipated just how strong I would ever become.

I pulled my car up in front of the car, power still radiating from me forcefully as I leaned back, without a word I order John Gilbert to get out of my car with a single glance, he obeyed and walked in the house, Jeremy however hovered at my side.

"Are you going to compel me to forget now?" he spoke with such anger that I couldn't help but laugh, he looked confused as I shook my head at him. Elena really had done a number on him by making him forget about Vicki Donovan, during the time Stefan was locked away she had shared her perspective on everything that had been going on in this town and filled in a lot spaces previously left blank by Damon. Like his use of Caroline Forbes, his murder of Lexi Stefan's best friend and all that Elena knew of the Stefan, Damon and Katherine situation.

"Hey, give me a break I know I hang out with Damon but that doesn't mean he and I are the same. No I am not going to compel you to forget Jeremy, you have clearly known about all of this for a while so what's knowing that I am badass on top of the whole Vampire thing going to do? Plus now that you know it means you can be better prepared and maybe have a shot with that hot Anna chick you have been swooning over." I patted his arm and we shared a friendly smile, why Elena had fought so fiercely to protect him not knowing was beyond me because if anything it only cemented him eventually finishing out, the only species that have perfect compulsion skill are Angels and well seen as I didn't compel him, there was also going to be someway or another that Jeremy began to notice things.

"Thanks, maybe I will catch you around later Anya and don't worry I won't tell Elena about you." I opened my mouth ready to ask how he knew I hadn't told Elena, now it was his turn to laugh at me. "I am just guessing seen as you didn't bring back up today that you haven't told any of them about yourself yet."

"Thank you Jeremy and maybe I will see you tomorrow for the big parade." I was so touched that he was ready to just accept that I was hiding something, I could see how he had drawn in Anna she was clearly a Vampire and that didn't bother him. Everyone around here seriously underestimated the kid, he was kind and pretty sweet, a hell of a lot smarter than his sister gave him credit. I was genuinely surprised Elena didn't have him out there on the Vampire front line with her; perhaps out of love she protected him. Who knows? My vibrating phone signalling a text yelped in my jean pocket, I pulled it out and with a quick once over of Alaric's text I sped off to the town centre. He had been given news from Damon of when they were meeting Isobel and where, unluckily for me it was all going down right now in the town centre, I was so going to be late.

The sight that affronted me when I arrived was that of an old style Western standoff. Isobel and Elena stood in the centre, two of Isobel's minions hanging at her back and the Salvatores behind Elena. I walked up the middle of the very tense little gathering, I was perfectly walking down the centre of the carefully drawn boundary lines, to my left was team Elena and my right team Isobel. My loyalties were clear in my heart and mind but it didn't mean that I wouldn't enjoy baiting Isobel just a little, the heated discussion seemed to stop as they all turned to face me, I felt like Switzerland and they were all about to turn me to their side.

"You always did run late as child but of course you won't remember that." She smirked and I wanted to wipe that smug self important look of her face, picking on my lack of memory was just blatantly uncool but maybe she should cool off. The warm summer air suddenly turned cold, everyone's breath became to created clouds as ice crawled at Isobel's feet, her smile fell away and immediately the air warmed up as if nothing had happened. Stefan smiled at me impressed and I gave him a gentle nod as a thank you, Elena and Damon just looked mortified.

"I had some remodelling to do but well you already know that. How's the back?" I retorted as I started my second stare down of the day with Isobel. I would be an excellent superhero, I was powerful and witty, I think I could give Batman a run for his money, Superman too. I was pretty cool and a complete child at heart clearly, considering the seriousness of the situation and here I am thinking about being a superhero.

"Fine, I heal quickly." Her voice was dead, someone was not happy about her lair being all but destroyed or having her ass kicked by a teenager. What can I say, I aimed to please.

"Shame, next time I will ensure you don't heal quickly but for now please do continue your little meeting." I waved my hand for them to continue, as I walked over to take up my usual position next to Damon. He watched me bizarrely as I stood next to him, Stefan merely continued to smile at me welcoming me to where I stood between the two. Isobel looked clearly frustrated by my position and I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at her like a child, it took a lot of strength but I managed, just. After giving me a distasteful glare she eventually returned her attention back to Elena.

"Anyway Elena, I knew Damon would give _you_ the device because he's in love with you-" the air hummed awkwardly around everyone as Stefan, Isobel and Elena all turned to look at Damon, I however had been warned of this already so I kept my eyes firmly on Isobel the whole time. she genuinely looked quite bored by all of this, you would think that if she was stood here meeting her daughter she would show at least some emotion but no, probably because she was so far gone that not even a single little bit of the old Isobel existed anymore. I think Damon was taken back by my lack of interest, Elena too, I could feel them both looking at me incredulously. "Well at least I thought he was, maybe I was wrong." There was an even longer and more awkward pause this time because Isobel decided to direct the final part of her statement at me, causing everyone too stare at me apart from Stefan who was repressing a laugh at my blush and uncomfortable glare in Isobel direction as I gave in and stuck my tongue out at her. An extremely awkward long pause ensued after that.

"Thank you," Elena took a step forward and forced the device into Isobel's hand, she looked so disappointed but also sort of relieved. I wasn't sure what about, was the thank you in reference to saying Damon loved her or about this whole situation because frankly I am yet to see anything to be thankful for unless, she was in love with Damon and now that was confirmed she and him could ride off into the sunset. Gads. Then again knowing Elena I knew that couldn't be it unless she was more like Katherine than we had all first thought because she was so in love with Stefan it kind of hurt to be around them, all that love, at that level of intensity all the time was a strain on any empath near them.

"For what?" Isobel asked the question that I was pretty sure everyone was wondering. I mean Stefan had gone still, more still than usual and Damon was avoiding everyone's eye contact, clearly curious at her thanks but completely awkward at the situation seen as Stefan was a whole Angel away form him.

"For being such a monumental disappointment. It keeps the memory of my real mother perfectly intact." Elena ended the awkward moment and Stefan breathe out with relief, I actually found myself breathing out with relief too but I couldn't quite figure out why.

"Goodbye, Elena. As long as you have a Salvatore on each arm, you're doomed. Katherine was smart. She got out. But we all know that you're not Katherine." Isobel turned on her heel dramatically but hesitated slightly and leaned back to face me. "Oh and Anya, Katherine asked me to tell you, she will be seeing you very soon. The pair of you will have a lot to discuss I am sure."

"Goodbye Isobel and remember what I said, one drop and well you know how it ends." With a voice so fake and angelic I almost wanted to throw up, I gave Isobel my last echoing goodbye. She walked off into the distance at human pace for dramatic effect, Elena and Stefan embraced each other passionately hugging each other fiercely. I danced awkwardly on my feet as I stood next to Damon, he reached down and took my hand in his.

"Come on, lets get wasted." He chuckled into the night as he tried to lead me away but I just stood frozen where I was. Earlier I had promised that once Isobel was gone I would break it off, retreat into myself so that I was strong enough to say goodbye nut now stood here looking up at him I couldn't bring myself to do. For the life of me I couldn't make myself compel him, and trust me I tried and I tried but my own heart seemed to throw up barriers so that I couldn't do it. I almost cried out in frustration.

"Damon, I can't, I need to go home." my voice was tight with the tears I wouldn't let fall. He closed the distance between us and placed his hands on my waist to hold me a bit closer but also to ensure I couldn't just run away from him. I needed to break this off like I said I would, to protect him. He loved Elena and I wouldn't fall for someone who wanted another, I wouldn't be that girl. I took slow deep breaths and I prepared myself to make him forget everything that we had every shared, to make him forget about me completely. So I could free him and keep him safe.

"You aren't honestly listening to Isobel now are you?" his eyes were big with some kind of emotion that not even I could place, I looked up at him, power still running free within me and had my mind whisper forget to him. His eyes went dead, I breathed out slowly and fought off the tears once more but the peace of compelling him didn't last as he shook his head and looked down at me curiously.

"Forget what?" he asked, annoyed and so far from pleased I was a little worried. How the hell had he ignored my compulsion! No-one ignored my compulsion ever but then again I didn't really want to compel him anyway, still he shouldn't be able to fight it. Just like that, my eyes blinked several time and forced me to see the one thing I had been ignoring all this time. The bond. The one we had cemented over and over again this morning was wrapped so tightly around us both, white light and black, the light of his aurora and mine had come together and an explosion of light colour swam around us both. I could remember clearly before how when our aurora's would jump about like same ends of a magnet repel one another, now they had come together to great this fusion of light. The power and emotion that surround the bond was like nothing I had ever felt or seen before, I couldn't place it or explain it, it was completely overwhelming, heart wrenching and beautiful. Now I knew that I couldn't and wouldn't be able to ever say goodbye, last night was a mistake yes but one that meant that no matter how much I fought it I would forever be there for Damon, I couldn't ignore this kind of power that he held over me. I looked up at the displeased gaze of Damon but as soon as he seen the excitement in my eyes his own softened. I had made my decision, I would stay here with him for as long as possible but more importantly I would give him a little something in return. The one thing I had previously refused him for my own safety, I would gift him to show that I was sorry for trying to make him forget-though he won't understand what had just happened anyway seen as he doesn't understand, yet at least. But more importantly to show him that I may care for him, just a little bit.

"My stupid rule because we are _both_ going back to mine, if you want that is." My voice was so happy and elevated, my mood was running so high that I heard the infectious giggles of Mystic Falls patrons explode around us as they were hit with the tidal wave of my own happiness. Damon made his eyebrows dance again before leaning his forehead against mine.

"If you are trying to seduce me with that offer, you might just succeed." He laughed and I pushed him back from me, his smile bigger than I had ever seen it as I shook my head at him with annoyance.

"You can always just go home, alone you know?" I called over my shoulder too Damon as I walked towards my car, there was a few seconds and a quick few beats of my heart before he fell into pace with me, I nudged him with my shoulder but he only dragged me with him as he swayed .

"Now I can't just go home and deny the lady what she wants." He was so cocky and confident, so all I could do was laugh in response as I let him follow me to the car. Who would have thought that out of everyone here in Mystic Falls, that I would find myself completely drawn to Damon freaking Salvatore. It suddenly occurred to me as I slide into the driver's side of my car about what I had been saying earlier and my inability to compel Damon. I can't intentionally use my powers to hurt someone that is Innocent and by saying goodbye to Damon I would intentionally hurt myself and him. I wonder who the innocent is in this situation? Well considering what went down once we reached my house, my money isn't on either of us.

**Perhaps you would be so kind as to review before it all goes tits up in Mystic Falls with the device going awol and all that pain and death occurs, because I mean a good thirty odd Vampires and one Werewolf all being killed at cant honestly bring good news for Anya now can it? **


	14. Chapter 14: Weep For The Dying

**A/N: ****So sorry for the delay suffered writers block and then life got hectic but I know you don't care for my excuses. **

**Enjoy, read and review they make me smile and help me keep going with this.**** =] **

With my legs crossed beneath as I sat happily on the classic comfy American family couch in the Gilbert living room, I couldn't help but smile as I played with the end edge of my black leggings, when Damon and I rolled out of bed this morning I barely had anytime to get ready so I just threw on my leggings and a long white top with a Strokes logo on it. No-body would be looking at me today anyway, not that I had ever wanted them too it just brought me comfort to know all eyes would be on the floats and the local kids as they should their town sprit in full by dressing up in 18th century dresses and as soldiers. It was so sweet that they did this every year and each year they displayed the same level of commitment and excitement to it, despite most of them having done it each year for all of their lives. Like Jeremy for instance, he and Elena were both going to appear on floats today and despite taking forever to get ready he seemed genuinely quite pleased about doing it. Jenna had already left with Elena to allow her to coordinate with Stefan and the other girls, so Rick and I offered to stay and wait for Jeremy so we could drive him down there and save Jenna driving back and forth once more. I felt so good it was unreal, everything seemed to be sliding into place- well after I accepted that there was no getting rid of Damon that is. The day of Isobel's appearance I knew that danger was creeping closer and closer to me so I mentally prepared myself to run again, my first stop on being ready was to say goodbye to Damon but I seemed to block myself, the cool touch of glass against the back of my neck made me jump as Rick nudged at me with a glass full of a clear liquid. I took it from him and looked up at him incredulously.

"Vodka, Jenna didn't have any scotch." he supplied as he sipped at his own glass grimacing at the paint thinner taste. I repeated his actions; except I sighed peacefully at the burn in my throat it was nice to feel a little bit of pain to just remind me that I was alive and not in a dream. Everything lately had felt like on big dream, the good and the bad.

"What's going on with you and Damon then?" Rick asked, as if reading my thoughts as he tried to play it cool running a finger around the edge of his glass. I laughed shaking my head as I took another gulp of the poisonous liquid willingly. I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand before leaning forward, hanging my wrists and empty glass between my legs, I began to fidgeted as I wasn't quite sure how to answer a question that I didn't have answer for.

"I honestly don't know, I tried to make him forget us, forget me the other day but I just couldn't do it. I blocked myself." I sighed and leaned back against the settee dangling my head off the back as I was taller than the seat itself. "Since then, and don't judge me, I have been compelling him to do stupid things like go and get me stuff just to check I can actually compel him and this isn't becoming a Edward and Bella situation."

"And?" Rick asked though a voice thick with laughter, with working in the high school he has become equally bombarded with the Twilight phenomenon and all the giggly teenage girls that went with it; if only they knew the truth about Vampires I bet they wouldn't be so quick as to devote themselves to them, especially when they discover they don't sparkle like pretty Edward does.

"It works fine, hell I had him jumping up and down for my own amusement this morning!" my hands flew into my hair out of frustration and began to tug at my worn out roots. Why couldn't I make him forget me? Stupid Angel specific rules and regulations, if I am not the "perfect" Angel then why am I bound to all their over protective rules; It's not like I plan on a killing spree or anything. Jeez. My head snapped up in the direction of a muffled laugh, grabbing with lightening speed a pillow next to me I threw it at Rick with a slight force behind it, it hit him in the head subduing his laugh as he looked upon me and my unamused eyes. He spluttered a cough before so he could clear his voice of laughter before speaking.

"Perhaps kiddo, you will just have to accept some thing are out of even your control and maybe if you weren't such a control freak you could just enjoy whatever it is going on with you pair because he –" the heavy boots of Jeremy coming down the stairs caused us both to pause like frightened deer, though he knew all about Vampires etc we didn't want Jeremy thinking it was an okay topic of conversation especially this particularly private one. I push myself up and off the warm all American couch and motion for Rick to follow as we gather up Jeremy and head out to the chair, we settled into casual conversation about today's forth coming events as we drove down the picture esque roads to the school.

We barley made it there and as I leaned against the overheated metal of the car, I watched Jeremy and Elena fall into an argument, as I had been coming more and more into my powers lately I found it far too easy to listen into what was going on. Jeremy was very mad still about being compelled to forget what had happened to Vicki and typical Elena couldn't see passed her own "it was for the best" stance. She may have been protecting him but it was the wrong way to do it, I sighed and wondered how I would have dealt with it but it was truly an unfair comparison. I have been programmed to make the most moral decision no matter what, though lately I have been wondering about that myself but deep down I can never do anything that others would deem bad or evil. As I gazed on as Jeremy stormed off in the direction of his float, I knew in my own heart had he been my brother I would have let him keep his memories and pushed away Stefan and not him. If that's what it took. I felt so sorry for Jeremy at times, he was such a relaxed kid about most things and they treated him like some delicate bit of rice paper when maybe he was far stronger than Elena. I kept watching him until he was swept up in the chaos of today's parade. Streamers, confetti, giggling girls all ran around getting ready, bellowing commands at one another, I think in this case the loudest person wins but even through all the craziness I couldn't help but envy the girls in their 18th century outfits. This town was so proud of its heritage that each and every year they held several days to honour it, I have never seen anything like this in my pitiful three years life experience. I wish I was a part of this town and was less of a loner. Rick nudged my shoulder from where he had been leaning next to me waiting patiently for me to move but when I didn't he had nudged me. I pushed air out between my teeth before following dutifully behind Rick so we could stand off to the side of the parade route.

Mrs Lockwood's voice rang out from some kind of speaker system, she got to pretend to be mayor for now and was more than happy about it all, I tuned my mind away from her voice and concentrated on the marching band as they approached us. All of them donned in the same red and black suit as they strutted past us proudly, just behind them I found myself smiling up at Jeremy as he mucked about on his float with the Lockwood kid, my eyes began to watch his own deep brown honey eyes and I couldn't shake off how familiar they were, they were the same eyes that I had fell for in the form of his Uncle's. Though Mason's were lighter they looked pretty damm similar, I began to laugh as Tyler tried and failed to catch my eye in a flirty manor. So instead I took to waving up at Jeremy and screwing my face up so I looked hideous and rather amusing., Jeremy breaks out in a laugh so forceful he doubles over slightly as his friend begins to sulk at my lack of attention his way. I couldn't help but reflect on how pleased I was with myself, after having saved him from Isobel I had expected some kind of back lash where he told on me to the others but he hadn't. Instead he had taken to texting me after stealing my number from Elena, he told me all about Anna and how he felt about her, all about Vicki and how he had loved her. It was the start of yet another close friendship like the one I shared with Stefan.

I continued to smile as I relaxed into the strong arm of my uncle, the sun was beating down on us and I beamed as brightly as it did. This town was so easy to relax in when the sun was shinning like this, the Others, Isobel and all other evil that stalk this town was banished by the sun's golden rays; at least until nightfall. I have been thinking a lot lately about Isobel, her potential relationship with John and how it could make him Elena's birth father but I refuse to voice any concern to the others because I don't want to get involved in the mess anymore than what I already was. As most of my concern was centred on the fact Isobel knew Katarina, since her chilling closing words that Katarina would see me soon had thrown me through a loop one I was stuck in, the next float reared its ugly head and I growled. A sound so deep, so animalistic that I scared even myself, my body reacted in a way I didn't think it could. As if I were some demonic creature my body switched to attack mode as I fell into a fighting stance ready to attack the on coming predator, it wasn't until Rick forcefully took hold of my arm and did I stop to realise that the sight that affronted me wasn't Katarina but Elena. With her hair curled and that dress, she looked like the double of the Katharina I remembered form England, my mind reacted for a fight at the sight of her. I turned and cringed further away into Rick's side suddenly feeling ill with fear, fear that when Katarina eventually reared her ugly head that I wouldn't recognise it as her and she would play us all of Elena. I feared that instead of hurting Katherine I would hurt Elena. Rick took to leaning down and kissing the top of my head, I didn't need to voice my fear to him he just knew what it was straight away. Since the appearance of Isobel I spent a good few days making sure I told Rick everything and anything he wanted or needed to know; from my weird dreams of the past to my theorised role as Petrova Bodyguard. He used his free hand to rub soothing and compassionate circles on my back as he murmured that because I feared hurting her I wouldn't do it, that I was stronger than I gave myself credit for, that he trusted me and was proud to be my Uncle. That I was as good, that I was an Angel. Even though I knew out of sheer compassion he said all those things, I still letting it sink in, I told myself it was the truth and that as long as Rick as here I could do this. Rick nudged his shoulder up and I knew what he was signally for me to do, I groaned and wormed closer into his protective embrace before sighing. He wanted me to wave at the happy couple, Elena and Stefan, the worst part was I knew that if I didn't Stefan would know something was up. turning on my heel moved to look up at the pair, drawing on the happiness and excitement that swirled about the town, the big bright sun too, I plastered on the biggest and most sincere smile I could manage as I waved at them both. I forced the ghostly imagine of Katrina out of my mind, Elena wasn't Katarina, Rick had assured me of this countless times and Elena had proven it herself but yet I couldn't fight the feeling they were most a like where it counted; both Petrova's hold the hearts of both the Salvatore Brothers.

As if on cue Damon emerged from the crowd and my heart sank, he looked as devastatingly good as always, made me feel rather inadequate when compared to him but also the Petrovas. He came up close and smiled his crooked smile at me and then Rick, before shaking hands with Rick, never taking those ice blue eyes away from mine for even a second.

"Rick, mind if I steal Anya for just a moment?" He ended it with a quirk of the eyebrow and I realised just how much I was falling for Damon. Rick laughed a yes and Damon extended a hand towards me and as soon as I took it I immediately felt at home. I lend into him slightly except unlike with Rick it wasn't a choice but more like a force cragged me in. an overwhelming need to just have him close, maybe my Angel radar was on the fritz but I couldn't fight the feeling that if I let him out of my sight for even just a second something would happen to him, someone would take him from me. So I clutched to him tightly as we walked like a couple through the town. I glanced back over my shoulder giving Rick a silent nod, he return quickly after to watch the parade again but for now he was satisfied that I was happy.

"So I thanked Bonnie for her help yesterday," he paused briefly in out aimless walk to watch my face as he spoke, I turned my face up to look at him and I merely smiled broadly. Damon didn't do thank you's and the fact he had granted Bonnie one was a huge step for him on the way to being a slightly better person a more tolerable one.

"Hm?" was all I offered in return, eager to hear his velvet voice tell em more whilst he still could because in the pit of my stomach I could feel something reaching for him, to take him from me.

"Maybe I am softening in my old age-" he paused to give me a sarcastic roll of the eyes. "Or maybe you are a bad influence on me. Vampires don't do please and thank you's."

"No you just don't do manners Mr Salvatore!" I guffawed loudly smacking him in the chest, he quickly captured my hand and held it also. "Anyway I refuse to take credit for any of your actions, it all your doing Dracula."

"Charmed. You'd have learnt to see me as the bad guy by now," his shuffled my hands so that he held both of my hands to his chest with his left hand as he took to tracing the right down the side of my face. I couldn't help but smile up at this dangerous, dangerous man. He was the bad guy but at the same time he wasn't. I didn't want to fix him, make him good because then he wouldn't be Damon. Us being together didn't make any sense, he was black magic and I was white. Legend says we should be at each other's throats unable to co-exist but here we are. Locked in a loving embrace because we had ignored legend and it made sense for us too because I was the girl who never paid any attention to the rules, never acting like they said I should.

"Perhaps you are the bad guy, I mean I came to this town for a fresh start, one day in and I met you, the man that has been getting me in trouble ever since." My voice was the softest I had ever heard it go because I knew that though I was joking it was true, perhaps there was an element of destiny within how we came to be. Or more likely an element of Damon.

"It was a joint effort, trust me." he flashed his canines at me, before leaning down to kiss me sweetly in front of everyone and I found myself breaking away to lean back gold both of his hands just so I could beam up at him. To show him how happy I was to just be with him and when he shared the same smile back at me, mine grew even more if possible. His laugh filtered out through the crowd causing resident cougars to turn at the enchanting sound, to stare at him lustfully.

"I don't know about you but there is only so much town cheer I can handle. Grill?"

We walked hand in hand to the Grill our favourite place to hang out after my house these days, everything seemed to be so at peace and just so happy, I turned instinctively to the sounds of small children running around a tree in the towns centre, their infectious laughter causing my heart to melt. The peek at one another from different sides of the tree as they ran acting out a game of hide and seek, I stood just watching them for a moment as Damon hovered at my side watching with me. a bounce of white blonde hair caught my eye, I recognised that hair, it reminded me of the girl from the temple. I watched the girl laugh as her friend caught up with her, I almost wanted to scorn the little boy for reaching out at her with those grubby hands he could dirty her white dress but the girl was faster than him and darted out of his way easily running to hide between her mothers legs. As she giggled again she tossed her head back curls falling like a halo about her face but her big brown eyes glittered as they looked up at me and she stood staring at me saying not a word. I gave her my warmest smile as I watched her tug at her mother's trouser leg as she pointed frantically at Damon and I .

"Mummy, is that the princess?" she whispered into her mother's ear as she bent down to tend to her child, the mother laughed and began explaining that she didn't know If I was or if I wasn't trying to maintain her child's playful innocence that moment longer before she grew up into a world of demons. Damon wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to his chest as he leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"I think she is right, you are my princess of darkness." He murmured as he nuzzled into my neck causing me to laugh brightly and everything around me sprung into life.

I leaned happily against the bar sipping on my freshly poured scotch, Damon and I had been here a while now and had spent the majority of our time slogging off the bored and horny people that surrounded us but more importantly the ones that were watching us intently, trying to listen into our care free banter. The ones that sat gossiping about us, were we officially together? How did Rick feel about his niece dating Damon? They speculated that though both very attractive it wouldn't last, I wasn't his type, too young. I scoffed at how I could feel their jealously across the room despite the swirls of much more potent emotions between me and them. I shook my head laughing as Damon remarked on their latest bitchy comment about us when I noticed Jeremy and Elena erupt into an argument. It ended as quickly as it started with a emotional Jeremy storming out of the Grill without a word of goodbye or explanation I launched myself down off my stool, patting Damon on the arm as I moved past him he simply sighed as he turned back to the bar and I raced outside to find Jeremy. My actions seemed strange even to me but he was so lonely and so hurt that I needed to fix him, take away the pain.

"Jer, wait!" I bellowed once I embraced the blinding sun of outside, it was just after mid day and the whole festival was in full swing, it would be so easy for Jeremy to keep walking pretend he hadn't heard me, that my voice had gotten lost on the crowd but he didn't . He turned at the sound of my voice and waited for me to reach him. I jogged gently between the bustling crowd until I was by his side, I placed a comforting hand on his arm where the muscles beneath my hand were flexed ready to punch something or someone. I sent calm through my fingertips using power that I had been avoiding lately, using it seemed to get me in trouble but since I unleashed hell upon Isobel using it came much freer, half the time I didn't notice that I was doing it until Damon pointed it out, making things lift in the air towards me, drawing peoples attention to me through minor compulsion. It was a dangerous game to be this free with my power, this is how they would find me.

"You can't make me be friends with her again Anya." Jeremy's voice was small and sad, he knew that I had come out here to try and fix the situation but he didn't want me to. Despite the fact it was what he needed, he needed Elena and she needed him. Jeremy and Bonnie were the main people in her life that had helped stop her from becoming Katarina, without them I would have two bratty Petrovas to control.

"Jer, I wouldn't dream of forcing you but come on. Elena did what she thought was best despite it being completely selfish on her part for you not to know but you do now. You have Anna now. Plus it wasn't even her that did it, it was Damon and knowing him, it was probably his idea. So you want to be mad, to punch someone, Damon is right through that door. " My hand waved towards the Grill and as Jeremy looked up I knew I was onto a winner here, his eyes were dark with guilt and sadness. "Jeremy, do you know what I would give to have someone love me as much as Elena loves you? To have a real family again? Of course I have Rick but he is my Uncle, he isn't a brother or sister."

"You're right Damon is just a dick." Jeremy mumbled as he stared down at his feet shuffling awkwardly unsure if eh should continue. "Why are you with him anyway?" I had to hand it to him, it was one hell of a good question, similar to my own one earlier in the day. How and why were we together?

"Honestly? I have no clue why we are together, I just know that I like him and he can be surprisingly tolerable after a while even If he is a dick." I laughed trying to ease the tension with my amusing truth because that's what it was, he was a dick but I was falling in love with him regardless and why? I didn't know.

"I will never understand how someone as nice as you can be around Damon."

"I put up with you don't I?" I immediately went on the defence as Jeremy slightly insulted Damon and though I felt bad I didn't regret it, somehow it felt natural.

"Are you insinuating that am a dick?" Jeremy scoffed in my direction taken back by what I had said. I gave him a warm smile and shook my head a I began to walk backwards in the direction of the Grill.

"Forgive you sister and I may reconsider." I taunted Jeremy causing him to laugh at my ridiculousness and though he would never admit it he was glad I cared enough to come out here and put him back in line.

"Nice try and I will see how the whole forgiving her thing goes." I rolled my eyes as I turned round properly and began to walk inside. I felt so light on my feet and carefree that it caused me to feel on edge, I couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom and the short time I was separate from Damon to talk to Jeremy had caused me to panic more, my palms were clammy and my heart raced. I tried to put the reaction down to paranoia but I knew myself , I knew my powers something was going on and whatever was coming this way was coming now. I drew a shaky breath as I pushed open to door to the Grill, promising to watch over Damon from now until something wicked had came this way.

The sense of danger didn't leave me all day and refused to lift even now as I walked in a picture perfect fairy light covered town, hand in hand with Damon, we may have fitted together like puzzles pieces but the uncomfortable feeling in my chest caused my eyes to dart about eager to find something out of place. So far I had seen only minor town gossip but my ears kept picking up far off whispers of a device that seen me recoil into Damon's strong arm, he had asked me over and over again if I was okay. All day in fact but each time I lied and said I was cold, so he would hold me tighter and briefly I would forget the whispers of panic in my mind but they always came back. I ran a frustrated hand though my hair as Damon dragged me through the over packed town centre, everyone was gathering for some speech from the Mayor, I didn't get the appeal and would love nothing more than to get Damon to come home with me but no St. Stefan was staying and he refused to be bestested by his brother. A ringing noise sounded in my mind, quietly at first but soon it began to generate bang with its loud cry of pain but not just pain but warning, every inch of my body wanted me to run away as far as I could. I had experienced the ringing before, it tended to signal the arrival of the Others, of my death. It was a built in warning as Mark had called it my own Spidey-sense, that let me know when to run. Sometimes it would go off seconds before they appeared, other times weeks, it varied with the level and impending nature of the danger. So as I rubbed my forehead I flew into panic but not for me, but for everyone around me. I turned so quickly on my heel, thoughts barely registering what I was actually doing but my body knew that something was coming at speed towards Damon and I way before my mind did, I won't lie being an Angel did have its perks. My whole body tensed, ready to spring any which way into action but my eyes fell instead upon the whirlwind of fear that was some olive girl, I recognised her as the young girl we met with Miss Pearl.

"Damon!" Her voice called out and immediately I knew what I had been trying to ignore all day, the feeling of sickness, the need to have Damon by my side at all times, was all because I was trying to warn myself of this moment; the moment where she took a lovely evening and thrust it under darkness with a story of danger and fear, the moment where she asked us for help. "The tomb Vampire's they are planning to attack." Shit.

"Where?" Damon's voice to others seemed to be calm and controlled but I knew better I could feel the panic tearing at the edge of his resolve, the urge to fight and protect taking over as he fumbled to once more clutch my hand and the wave of calm that washed over him as soon as we touched almost caused a tear to fall as I watched him in complete awe.

"Here, tonight, now in fact. As soon as the fireworks go off they are going to start, I am sorry I tried to get here quicker but-" Damon raised a hand to silence her, I wish I had paid better attention to the rest of their exchange but my heart was slamming against my chest at an worrying rate, boom, boom, boom, my palms began to sweat as if they thought they were going to be the next Niagara falls, boom, boom, boom, my hand flew up to clutch my chest and my head swirled with a sea of voices. I tried to force my heart back into my chest as it attempted to tear free but the voice, so many voices made me want to scream. It wasn't as if my hearing had suddenly got better, no but my body was reacting to the danger creeping closer and closer. I guess it makes sense and is a good defence mechanism but at the same times it's ridiculously hard to get under control.

Mark had always described my apparent reaction to danger as a way of ensuring I would survive no matter what because that's what was needed, though I was much faster, stronger and powerful than anything on this earth I wasn't invincible and it would be stupid to convince myself otherwise. Cocky people got over confident and made mistakes, I couldn't afford any mistakes in whatever it was I was here for, whatever fight that lay in wake for me would require me to be at my peak strength. So my body has a trip switch, well my power does at least, when danger is nearing I begin to sense it before hand and when it is all but upon me I am forced to access powers that I would normally ignore. Like now for instance, my mind was being ravaged by the thoughts of everyone in town, I shook my head from side to side dazed by the rush of information. Mrs Lockwood known for her exchanges between male visitors that weren't her husband, Clare on Maple Street entered a bought pie for the baking contest she shouldn't have won, Batman could totally take Superman in a fight, not long until they ripped the throats of everyone in town and feasted, as feast so extravagant they would go down in history. There. I tried my hardest to zone in on the mind that had sent that thought floating out into the night, sub consciously I found my feet moving me off in a furious panic towards where this thought flickered brown and red with anger and disappointment but Damon took hold of my arm and turned me round. I opened my mouth to argue, to tell him I needed to stop this, I knew what to do but the painful fear in his eyes silenced me and the voices that swelled around in my head.

"Anya, I need you to promise me you will stay out of this, I can't protect everyone else if I am too busy trying to protect you." He leaned forward and rested his forehead against mine closing his eyes, the action and his words were so not Damon I was lost for words. He didn't do emotional chats about feelings, they were always light hearted and jokey but now? He was speaking gentle words weighted with emotion that not even I could place. I remained frozen unable to speak as he took a deep breath, in and out several times, calming himself but snapping back to attention and leading me off towards Rick. After filling Rick in and asking him to make sure I got in the car and drove off like I needed too. He kissed my forehead and ran off no doubt to find Stefan and Elena.

"You have no intention of listening to him do you?" the sweet and lion like voice of Rick snapped me back to reality, I could dwell in Damon's sudden show of emotion later for now I needed to stand and fight. To protect what was mine but not just that, the heavy beat of my heart told me the Others were close. That was the real fight brewing here and not the tomb Vampires, the real fight wasn't Damon's or Stefan's. it was mine and mine alone. I took a deep breath and let all my power flow out into my body, every muscle became stronger and I could use my power at a moments notice a thought was all that it required now, so I gave Rick my best one hundred watt smile before answering him, the answer that he knew was already coming.

"Innocent lives come first don't you know that?" I gave him a gentle laugh as we began pulling his Vampire ass kicking gear out of the boot of his car, arming one another with suitable weapons for taking out fully grown Vampires.

"That and you are stubborn as hell." He joked back knowing me well enough to see I needed the jokes now more than ever, he signalled for me to move back as he slammed the boot of his car shut and we moved silently like ninjas into the crowd, equipped with an arsenal of weapons that would cause a normal persons mind to explode.

The fireworks sparkled and crackled over our heads as hysteria swept up Mystic Falls as Vampire's emerged grabbing local men and women to begin their massacre but before any real damage could be done they began to drop like flies. Rick looked over to me as if expecting me to have done it, I shook my head, I mean I was good but unless I could picture them in my mind I couldn't knock them all down at once. With practice yes I could but I wasn't ready for that just yet. My body swayed with pain, kind of like a tall tree does in a strong wind, the Vampire's were in incredible pain but not just that someone I loved was also. Rick supported me as I shook off the ringing noise that vibrated within my head and chest, the feeling was so hard to explain but the pain was their but I could sense it more than have it ravage my body like the Vampire howling out into the night. It was then like a light bulb the wind seemed to whisper a name to me, Damon, he was in pain. It made perfect sense I can sense when Mark and Rick are in pain regardless of distance, so why not Damon? Shoving more of my weapons onto Rick I ran off at lightening speed in the direction that my heart instructed.

My heart was racing and pulling me along the pavement, Vampire lay screaming around me and their pain caused me to cry with fear as I watched them being pinned down and injected with vervain. I know how stupid it sounds but a most of them were probably just following the crowd, out with their time and looking for revenge and not redemption. It was a very sad thing indeed. My feet pounded against the slippery grass wet from the cool air of night time as they led me to where the other half of my heart lay in excruciating pain. I find myself standing out side the red brick building that was once Grayson Gilbert's, my eyes drifted closed and I immediately regretted it as Damon was clearly now unconscious, his heart beat steadily letting me know he was still alive but I knew if they had been able to knock him out it was only a matter if time before they staked him. before I had even opened my eyes I was in front of the door tugging at the locked door handle, a police officer clearly informed to watch over the door and make sure no-body suspicious entered it began to move at me with the intention of "hitting me so hard I would forget my own name", some people really do have charming thoughts. I growled, a noise that I had been using more and more often since being here in this dramatic little town, with power flowing as freely as it was I was tempted to give him a piece of his own medicine but decided against it. I positioned my body so I was facing him and forcing power and compulsion down his throat with one quick glance I sent him away with no memories of every seeing me here at this rickety door. I rattled at the handle once more but it was no use it was locked securely, I raised my hands in front of the door and sent up an apology to Grayson Gilbert for what I was about to do next. White light engulfed my hands before it blasted forward and forced open the door bursting the lock.

I moved around the door before anyone could see me, I already knew no-one was at the other side so I leaned against the door breathing heavily as I scanned the bare office. The device sat perched on the counter across from me just a metre away from a small white door that I knew was the last one between me and Damon, I pushed off from the front door and marched across at human pace with thumping feet to sound my arrival to those below me but as I reached out of the door handle I was overcome with a blast of power. As a soul passed onto the next place, someone had been staked. My legs crumpled beneath me no longer able to support my weight, so I fell to the floor like a cheap hooker who had been punched in the stomach. My stomach began to turn over on itself and I began to dry heave at the pain, whoever had just been staked were a good person and a pretty clean soul that much was clear as I whimpered in silence. The scratch of a fresh match abused my sensitive eardrums as a blurred figure stood in the door way I had been moving towards only seconds before, he dropped it to the floor and a dazzling flame erupted down the steps into the basement. The hazy figure, that I could barely make out through my teary eyes began to close the door behind them and lock it, then before I knew it they were upon me standing looking down at my dishevelled state with sympathy. A hand was extended towards me, whoever it was knew me but I still refused their offer and moved off, picking my shaky frame up off the ground but as soon as he spoke his next words I knew it was stupid of me to have not recognised the man behind the curtain.

"Anya, I am sorry about all of this but I had to protect my town." I rolled my eyes are John as I moved to lean against the counter, the feeling of pain still lingered but I was beginning to feel the benefits of their death- as morbid as that sounds. John Gilbert may have killed one enemy but he had only succeeded in making another much stronger.

"Bull shit, you had to protect yourself from Isobel and Katarina. Lets not fuck about with this John, we both know you're their lapdog." John began to laugh as he walked in a slow random pace before me as I shook my head in disgust at him.

"You always are straight to the point Anya, I like that." He began this time to move directly towards me with a taunting tone as I leaned shakily against the wall as the neck of some semi-innocent person was snapped below me, I cried out a cry similar to the ones that wolves send to the moon and once more I collapse to the floor. John took to leaning over me trying to held as the power thrashed about within me.

"Go to hell" I screamed out and I slapped away his hovering hands as he tried to right me, normally I would welcome the help but not from him, I would rather die.

"Come on, they won't be pleased if I just leave you here and like you said I am their lap dog and you certainly aren't worth my life." SO he continued to help me making sure as I cried out I didn't do myself any damage but the pain passed quickly, I let him help me stand up and I found myself staring at the door. I had wasted enough time.

"I am sorry John."

"What fo-" he barely spoke before I extended my hand out as it glowed with white light and punching him square in the face , the light protected me from any pain but also sent him flying backwards and straight into the wall opposite. The building vibrated with the force of my hit but I didn't feel guilty in the least, he helped me and so I helped him. He couldn't get in trouble for my saving Damon if he was unconscious when it happened.

With speed that was much faster than before I raced to the door but when I took hold of the handle I jumped back, the heat of the fire had caused it to singe my skin, I shook my hand in shock but thanked God that I had accelerated healing as the smell of burning flesh became to haunt me. Fuck this for a laugh and a half, I am an Angel and it's about time I started using my powers for what they were meant for saving people. Don't get me wrong after this I will probably go back to day to day life laying low and all, I wasn't about to sport a cape and run around being a vigilante but for now I was going to use everything at my disposal to save Damon because I, I . I guess I loved him more than he would ever know and more than I knew. Who knew it only takes a near death experience for me to even be able to acknowledge my true feelings for a guy? I raised my hand and blasted the door open and I let the power wrap around me, causing me to glow white and bright like a ray of hope in this dingy basement.

As I walked down the concrete steps the fire cleared pace and parted for me as they obediently died down allowing me to pass but also leaping into action behind me to ensure I could not be followed. The sound of crackling wood and the singing of flesh was enough to make you gag but I pushed it to the back of my mind and ignored also the perfume of petrol and burning flesh. A sea of screams and prayers echoed in my head and around the room, tears flew freely to the floor, I could see myself in their minds the ones conscious enough to be aware of what was going on for the first time since I was reborn I looked like an Angel and for those religious enough within the group they embraced my presence so for them I granted them peace and with a shaking frame I banished their pain and I took on the flaming inferno that killed them. Even the cruellest if men turn to God in times of need, so why I should I deny them the peace of mind that they longed for? I stepped over the bodies that littered the floor, hands reaching out to grab me but it wasn't to kill me I could sense that, they reached for me, brushed their fingers of me because they wanted to see if I was real. This girl made of seemingly white light walked among a fire that burned them untouched, moved with an easy but frantic grace, to them I was an anomaly as I wept for their pain. I came across Damon quickly, I brushed the hair from his eyes softly too softly to even be felt but he felt it anyway and groggily looked up at me with a drunken awe as I picked him up off the ground slinging his arm around my shoulder as I dragged him towards an exit. The stairs I had used to get down here were now too dangerous but a second set lay off to the left slightly leading straight outside; I could feel the cool breeze that swept over in the direction calling me to safety.

Damon was heavier than he looked but the new power within me more than compensated for his weight, that and my super strength. I got him all the way to the top of the stairs, white power engulfing us both to ensure safe passage. My body convulsed with sobs as I carried Damon, all those in the basement were dying be them evil or not they lay dying and they were beyond saving now. Not even I could heal this many littered bodies, I wasn't strong enough but by God one day I would be and this many people would ever have to die again. Of course I didn't cry for the ones that had planned the attack but I cried at the thought that some of them were just like Damon and Stefan, maybe passing through town? Maybe they had someone like Elena or me waiting at home for them. I no longer cared about who saw me by the time we reached the top of the stairs, barrelling a ball of white light through the door, I dragged the almost dead weight of Damon through the empty doorway and its shower of splinters. I could see Stefan and Elena not too far off arguing with Bonnie about something, they had been gesturing to the door clearly discussing saving Damon, once Stefan's emerald eyes fell upon us he raced to take Damon from me. He took his brother in his arms and set him down as I fell to my knees regaining control of my crying and forcing my power away so as not to tamper with it anymore.

I placed my head on the wet ground of the alley way as I took deep breaths, the cool of the ground was a welcome distraction from the flurry of people fussing around Damon and I. I could feel the small hands of Elena on my back as she rubbed soothing circles as I continued to cry, she thought it was because Damon was hurt and so urged me to look at him but no I was still crying for those that lay dying in the basement, the only people to see me for what I truly was and believe it and they lay dying. I rocked back into a sitting position and off in the distance my eyes honed in on the frame of Elijah as he leaned causally against a tree, he waved at me as I stared through tear filled eyes before mimicking a round of applause. I tried to stand up and chase after him but the inferno behind me peaked and finally the pain became too much, I swayed back down to the ground as several people died at once, causing me to pass out from the blast of sheer power. As my head slammed off the ground it was created by the howl of, "ANYA" echoing off in the distance as Damon cried out for me this time.


	15. Chapter 15: Running Scared

**A/N: Sorry for the massive delay but I was bogged down with revision so here we are eventually =] plus the next seven weeks of nothing before Uni means I am very free for getting this going again. Thanks for all the alerts/reviews, please enjoy! **

The wind danced lazily about me making me feel more and more groggy, I guess this is what a hangover feels like, after everyone died in the fire only an hour or so before, there was so much power slamming into me that I screeched non-stop until it was over with and now after the major high I felt afterwards I was spilling into an even bigger down. There really is such as thing as too much of something, every inch of me arched especially my back right in the middle, I wont lie I was curious if this was the whole wings thing coming into play again but knew better than to get my hopes up of being able to unleash them whenever I wanted too and actually be able to remember what happened when I did. So far when they come out to play my memory goes blank and my brain melts slightly. I shuffled side to side where I sat on the porch of the Gilbert house, the scratchy wood catching at my jeans and tugging at me slightly, I groaned as I leaned forward to place my head on my knees scrunching up my body for comfort, I could hear Damon let a small laugh slip at my grouchy movements as he listened out for me as he spoke to Jeremy.

After collapsing he refused to let me be out with hearing distance of him, apparently he didn't enjoy seeing me bail and I knew all to well thanks to the mind reading that still hummed about in my head that it had opened up a fresh set of questions that he planned to bombarded me with as soon as I was feeling better. But I was glad at his constant close proximity because with my head still buzzing with the thoughts of others, well they were now quietened down to background white noise now after gaining better control over it, meant that there was still something and someone dangerous lurking in the shadows and as weird as it sounds I knew it wasn't Elijah. He had appeared to me earlier and none of this had happened, so by default that meant either my radar is on the fritz or someone else is waiting to wreak vengeance against this town and for once I was ready to go all out to protect everyone here. I pushed back and took in three deep breaths and I began to feel a little light headed but it was pretty soothing instead of having the weight of Jeremy's grief upon me, I would be up their with him myself but he is so distraught that I can't bear it, I broke down in tears half way up the stairs to his room. Apparently the girl to be staked as I raced to save Damon had been Anna, the girl he was falling in love with, Damon had known them both so had decided- in a very un-Damon manor- to offer to take away Jeremy's pain and suffering. It was pretty sweet but we both already knew Jeremy would say no to the offer, not after Vickie and the whole fight it caused between him and Elena.

As if on cue, Elena emerged from around the corner, bag slung lazily across her arm as she walk briskly towards the house, the wild look in her eyes and her far too perfect outfit told me something was wrong, she looked like the perfect storm and as I blinked several times I tried to recall the last time I had seen someone look like that. It was there in her walk, the way she carried herself and air of arrogance that I recognised but ah my brain was fried I couldn't piece anything together, I teetered on a knife's edge of suspicion just staring at her from where I lurked trying to fully form whatever it was my memory was trying to tell me and just as I was a hair's breadth away from understanding her doe eyes snapped up to look at me and warmth flooded back into them. No longer did they look wild and I felt myself ease slightly, though true suspicion remained firm in the back of my mind with the seas of voices. She paused and the dress bag slipped from her carefully poised arm as she just stared at me, a smile that I couldn't place lingered on her lips as I walked slowly down the porch steps, approaching her as if she could snap at any given moment.

"Elena are you okay?" my voice fell into the soft patter it always did when I coaxed frightened and startled children or animals. I fought against my stomach that swam in sickness, as I sent her waves of calm and serenity, she seemed to close her eyes for a moment basking in it, as if it was some great thing that she had missed and not something she had sensed me do every other day. It wasn't like I meant too but when I was in a good mood I broadcasted it to everyone and everything around me, Elena had come to accept it as part of everyday life or at least I thought she had. Her reaction now seemed weird, there was something I was missing. I began gapping like a fish as I tried to find the words I needed to ask her my questions but there were none because I was so lost. What in god's name was she doing? Swaying here side to side enjoying my presence as if it was something she had missed greatly, as if it was something new and precious. The door behind us clicked shut and Elena snapped her eyes open, I felt Damon move down the steps as cautiously as I had watching Elena and I with great care. Elena just cocked her eyebrow at him confidently and smirked that Queen bitch smirk, that I recognised just on every other teenage girl but not on her.

"What are you doing here, Damon?" her voice was as cool as ice and her eyes sent him daggers, had they fallen out since I had last seen her? Had they fell out previous and I was unaware? I began to rub at my temples I was beginning to get that gnawing feeling at the base of my spine again that something wasn't right. I could literally feel it in my bones.

"Don't worry Princess we are just leaving, I was checking up on that charming brother of yours, you know me, always eager to play the White Knight." He countered her smirk but as he neared us I found myself instinctively blocking Damon from Elena, my mind was telling me to bend my knees in a crouch, to growl at her unwelcome presence, every cell in my body screamed at me to keep her away from Damon, my Damon, my automatic animal approach to Elena scared even me.

"Damon we better get going, Jenna is already having a panic as Elena is late." I spoke through gritted teeth as glowered at Elena, my stare filled with the fire that had massacred all those Vampires only an hour or so ago, my hostility sounded alarm bells within Damon's mind but he didn't fight me on it. He did however nod behind me and begin leading me to the car, my eyes never left Elena until she had collected her bag and moved into the house where Jenna waited eager to find out why I had acted so strangely towards her niece.

I felt bad as Damon drove me home, to whatever one he chose for us to take residence in tonight was up to him I had clothes and possessions littered in both and the same went for him too, we usually didn't bother with the where as it never seemed to both either of us. So he drove the car and I sat in silence worry never escaping me, I shifted about on the squeaking leather uncomfortable once more with precognition clawing its way up my spine, twisting it excruciatingly at the base making me feel nauseous and weak at the knees with a faint pain. My mind kept replaying my reaction to Elena over and over again but not just that, I kept retracing her exact reaction to me over and over. Neither of them was natural for us, we weren't exactly bosom buddies but we never acted that way either. We pulled up outside my house and I couldn't ignore it yet, I tried to force my mind to think of a night curled up in Damon's arms, to have him hold me but the fear just became sharper and the pain more prominent. There was something wrong and I needed to find out what it was before I went insane, every time I blinked I saw Elena looking wild and unruly as she had when I spied upon her from the dark porch. The wind rushed to me, calling me to run as Damon flung open my car door but I remained frozen trying to plan a way of leaving and an explanation when I didn't even know what it was I was going back for. He reached over me and unfastened my seat belt and I still didn't move at all as he pulled me up out of my seat, my legs fell into auto pilot as I helped him to allow me to stand as he leaned me against the car. My mind was too busy searching and scorching its depths to find the answer to what was going on but every time I neared something my memory threw up a barrier, telling me I was going down all the wrong routes of thought, I stared up at my empty house lost in thought. Damon's hand curled under my chin and forced my gaze up into his own, his ice blue eyes were dark with fear and sadness, two foreign emotions for Damon. His thoughts told me he was concerned about me and I found myself sighing as I stared up at him with .

"You almost die tonight and yet here to stand worried about me," I laughed pathetically shaking my head, my spine pounding out new waves of pain as I took to looking at the crumbled gravel at my feet, I needed to get out there was something too quiet about Elena's mind, I mean Damon's relationship with me made it easy to keep up this connection of thoughts between us all the time but that didn't mean Elena would be silent, we were friends too, her thoughts should have called out to me and they didn't. the pain in my back heightened and as Damon stood there in front of me stroking my face lost of words, a new yet old memory resurfaced and I knew what I had been missing all his time.

I watched as if I was watching some old movie, I was sat perched next to Elijah laughing loudly at something I presume he had said, and as I laughed a man with soft golden hair and blue eyes that rivalled Damon's watched me carefully with a smirk that I couldn't place, Elijah also watched me with an eager curiosity. The room was large and dark, filled to the brim with various busy people preparing for the party later that evening, the rich wood of everything and ruby red furnishings looked amazing. I clutched Elijah's arm gently squeezing it as a signal for him to tell me more, yes he was telling me all about the werewolves they had been chasing, I was young so young, I didn't know my purpose not truly yet at least. I had met Elijah only a week before when he had saved me from a strange creature that made my skin crawl even now, something I later learned was a werewolf. He had taken me to the home he lived in with his brother and put me and taken such wonderful care of me, his brother was always very distant just flirting glances across the room with those blue eyes, in fact memory told me he was the man who was watching me now as the memory played out in front of my eyes. Something within me stirred and I raced withen my own mind to find the name for Elijah's brother, I had seen him before in other memories but the closer I got to putting a name to the face, my mind through up a wall, apparently I didn't need to know he name just now that wasn't what I was being shown this for, reluctantly I gave in, letting my mind show me what I needed to see and soon I was taken back by the sweet nature of myself with Elijah, the way my own lashes dipped down on my cheek as I tried not to steal glances at him, the gentle blush that formed on my cheeks whenever he said my name, I could feel it now in my mind and heart I remembered the way my heart raced for him; at the time I was quite taken with him that was until this very moment. This moment when it was all ruined for me, when my memory showed me what I needed to know. The moment when she arrived. Her hair fell in curls but was yet carefully pressed up in places so give her an air of elegance which was only then falsified by the sheer wild look of her face and the way she carried herself. She was as wild and rurally as the nature that surrounded us all, she was Katarina.

My breath caught in my throat and I began to move away from Damon quickly, the girl I had seen earlier was not Elena, I recognised her now. I pushed Damon away from me all together as his hands seemed to find my waist holding me in place, my eyes grew the deepest of blues as I commanded him without words to stay put. Katarina was back, she was the hidden danger and as I raced as quickly as I could to the Gilbert house I was scared, no petrified, of what I would find when I got there. My feet flew over the ground almost as if I was actually flying, my heart raced a million miles a minute because if the fear that threatened to consume me, everything had hit me at once and I was so mad at how much of a fucking idiot I had been. I couldn't read 'Elena's' mind because it was a mind I hadn't read in a good couple hundred years, I had over looked the key point of my whole existence the Doppleganger, to protect and die for the Doppleganger. My feet hammered out a shaky pace against the ground as I tried to calm the shivers that had overcome me, the unseen enemy of everyone was here and they were Katarina, the girl I had fought to save. That's why she acted so strangely in front of me, she hadn't seen me since the day she fled and escaped her fate and now here we were full circle, both the Doppelgangers here, needing protected from one another.

As I turned the corner to Elena's house, panic overcame me, what if I didn't make it in time? What if Katarina has killed Elena's family? This just wasn't my night, I almost lose Damon and now my stupidity might cost Elena her family, adrenaline hit my heart and pierced my blood, it provided momentary confidence as I blurred faster than ever before into the Gilbert house. I seemed to be on auto-pilot I was no longer instructing myself where to go, what to do, my body moved instinctively towards Katarina; a missile honing on its target. The slow breathing of a sleeping Jeremy brought me comfort as I walked in a low crouch through to the kitchen of the Gilbert household, Jenna was in her room cursing as she had just stubbed her toe and a male voice spoke delicately in the kitchen with Katarina. Pressing myself as close to the wall as humanly possible, praying that maybe I secretly held the capability to become invisible, a power that would reveal itself this second making my job much easier but alas I knew I was no Susan Storm. I peeked out from my outpost to see John Gilbert leaning against the kitchen counter speaking, completely relaxed to who he thought was her biological daughter, Elena, as she put away knifes. As much as I disdained John, I didn't wish this upon him, Katarina rarely played nice with me a super powered being, I couldn't begin to imagine what she had planned for John. As way of reminding me of just how much power I had within me I found myself jumping slightly and biting my lip causing a sweet metallic taste to flood my mouth as a high pitched ringing rang out in my head, I wanted to curse under my breath. In all my panic I had forgotten my, extremely fortunate defence mechanism, ability to read minds. I tuned into Katarina and began rolling my eyes, ever the melodramatic bitch, she intended to take a lovely big butchers knife and slice off John Gilbert's fingers rendering him without his ring and the power to survive supernatural attacks with it. You had to give it to her, the girl knew how to make an impression and leave her mark as it were, a fingerless John Gilbert really sent a message. I waited two breaths debating very, very briefly just letting this scene play out but I knew better than that. Time for me seemed to have dragged on for a good few minutes of hiding, listening to her mind and now debating a plan of action but as everything moved in slow motion like it does in some epic action film I knew in reality it had only been a few seconds, I was operating currently at a rate of speed I never had before. Not only could I move at the speed Vampires dream of but I could think and react at it as well. Not to blow my own horn but it was kind of amazing. I guess that's why before I even made any effort to move and save John I had time to feel sympathy for Katarina, she had always been a demanding brat when Rose and I cared for in the grand home of the mysterious Klaus but even then she still held this great capacity for love, a kind of tainted innocence but now as I looked into her mind I didn't recognise her. Were she not stood in front of me right now, I don't think I would have ever believed this was her mind. The Katarina I knew was long gone. I no longer felt any kind of remorse for the creature that stood before me, the bratty yet kind Katarina was gone and had been overtaken by the selfish and cruel Katherine.

"Thank You." She spread her lips as the words fell up into a smile, her brown eyes falling down upon the John's hand where it lay spread out on the counter top, the evil smirk of the knife as the bright light gleamed off its surface signalled it was time to move. I leapt up from my position as Katarina turned bringing the knife down towards John's hand, I was up and over the counter stood between the two before she has even become the decline of the knife, I threw John against the fridge behind him as if he was a kitchen towel and I began spinning on my heel grabbing Katrina by the throat and slamming her off the opposite wall, pinning her between me and the wall. John spluttered breathlessly as the knife clattered uselessly to the floor, its true purpose having been prevented, Katarina looked furious as she glared up at me through thick black eyelashes.

"Anya, what's going on? What are you doing?" John gasped behind me, he was winded from the force of my throw against the fridge, well nobody's perfect. I rolled my eyes at his level of stupidity, the girl raises a knife high in the air and he is still asking questions? Accusing me? it was no skin off my back running all the way here and saving his life, I could have easily fallen into bed with Damon but no here I am saving his ungrateful ass. Jeremy would have definitely thanked me, actually even the supernaturally unaware Jenna would have. I gritted my teeth in frustration as I looked down into Katarina's eyes to see that they had changed from a raged annoyance to a gentle warmth that I doubt had graced those doe eyes for centuries as they flicked across my features registering who I was. I groaned and turned my head to make eye contact with John, confident that I had Katarina pined with ease.

"What am I doing? What are you doing? I come all the way across town to save your sorry Vampire hating ass and you stand there accusing me." My voice had turned into a deep tone of spite as furious emotions over took me, hundreds of people died at the hands of the Katarina, who was spluttering as I tightened my grip on her throat, and John. His face was blank with disbelief and I could see in his mind that my almost demonic and wild look was something that all the stories hadn't prepared him for. The gentile and innocent girl, the embodiment of everything an Angel should be, the girl who has spanned centuries and has a history of being kind and forgiving, well she was nowhere to be seen; in appearance at least. I was so mad that I could feel the rumble of the earth causing the house's foundations to shake, who was he to question me? I dragged the struggling form of Katarina forward to face John, both of their eyes widened with fear.

"John, you remember Katarina? Your-" everything slowed as mid-sentence I heard the front door click open and the unmistakable mind of Elena rang out into the house. There was no time to react, to even finish my gran sarcastic speech that was truly going to be one of my best, I locked eyes with John, compelling him to tell Elena what had happened and that he owed me before moving with my new found killer speed to remove Katarina from the house.

It may seem cruel that instead of scooping her up and carrying her, I dragged her by the throat out the back door into the woods before dumping her down face first into the mud but she had orchestrated the almost murder of Damon, my man-friend, it was enough to deserve basic cruelty at a minimum. I moved away walking deliberately slowing to lean up against a tree mundanely checking ym nails as I felt my mind abilities slip away, signalling I had adverted the threat for now at least, I waited for Katarina to do something but she didn't. she just lay there face down in the cool soil, twigs and leaves caught in her mass of silk curls, just breathing deeply. I mean she could at least attempt and escape but she knew me as well as I knew her, she knew that it was pointless and she wasn't going anywhere till I let her. It was so weird to have her laid in front of me now, though in this life we had never met, a figment of a dream for a long time, yet I still knew her. I could no longer distinguish my memories from dreams and despite that huge gaps in my memories there was nothing I didn't remember about her and I. it is hard to explain, had she appeared a few weeks earlier I wouldn't have known how to read her or how to react to her but now a few dreams later and I have regained every piece of information about her I ever knew, it was one hell of a mind fuck. I couldn't even begin to imagine what I would remember if I ever met Klaus face to face. At a record pace for began deliberately slow, Katrina pushed herself up into a sitting position and begin humming as she picked the debris out of her hair, glancing coyly at me every few seconds.

"How long have you been watching everyone Katarina?" her eyes snapped up at the sound of her name and her face seemed to grow nostalgic.

"You know, no-one has called me that in years, not since you abandoned me in fact." Her eyes narrowed into a cat like glare, I felt years older than what I was, actually I guess I kind of felt my age in a strange way, she was still so highly immature that it kind of made me feel serious and wise. I shook my head at her and I dropped my hands down to slap off my legs gently, as my eyes took to searching her face for something that I was unsure of yet.

"Katarina I never abandoned you, I gave up my freedom to save your life." She looked away guilty and it was clear to both her and I this was something she already knew but ignored it so she was able to still feel bitter towards me for leaving her. "Katarina, answer my question." My voice was firm with the respectful tone of a parent because as strange as it may seem that was the relationship I had always held with Katarina, never were we friends but in fact I was a bit of a disgruntled parent, kind of like a man who finds out sixteen years after a one night stand he actually has a daughter and is left to raise her even though he doesn't really want too. Katarina quickly learnt to do as she was told as she didn't want to face the punishments that I bestowed upon her, that's why I didn't shout or scream at her now that would only put her back up and we would get nowhere.

"Couple of months." She sighed out of boredom, as if she was about to be scolded. "It was boring for a long time until you showed up of course and then everything began to just fall into place. Of course I had Isobel, John and a few others do all my watching at the start but I must admit I have enjoyed doing it on a more personally level this last week." She smirked up at me like the Cheshire cat from Alice mirroring it's malicious grin beautifully. She never had changed much over the years then it seemed, getting other people to do the dirty work and reaping the rewards it was her lifestyle.

"I can't let you hurt her, you know that." I suddenly felt so old and tired as I looked at Katarina, I was beyond caring yet I couldn't bring myself to stake her myself, too much had happened between us but horribly at the same time I would do anything to protect Damon, Elena and Stefan. Katarina looked up at me hurt slightly at what I had stated and she shook her head and began to fidgeted with the edge of her jeans as she looked down at the ground before speaking in a very small voice.

"I know but it isn't her that I want, at least not yet."

"Well what is you want then?" I ran my hand through my hair, she wanted Elena dead and I was at a loss as to why, well not completely, Katarina was a highly jealous creature it could be something as petty as the fact Stefan now loved Elena. That I now protected Elena but there was something hanging in the growing tension between us in these dark woods that told me there was something more behind all of this, something secret and unspoken. She opened her mouth and closed it falling into a pout as she was momentarily lost for words. This was a side to the snide child that I doubted people ever saw these days.

"I want Stefan back, I want him to love me like he used to and not her, and I need you back." Katarina spoke in a harsh voice and I couldn't help but laugh at her. I could see in her face this was half truth, half the story, using a swift hand gesture and a minimal amount of power I throw and subsequently held Katarina against the tree opposite my own, I took my lounging in an almost elegant manner against my tree as I turned my hand over and over in the air, Katarina grimacing every time I did so. This was scare tactic, if she was going to lie to me I wasn't going to play nice.

"You always were a self-centred brat Katarina," she seemed to almost wince at my words but I barely took notice as I ploughed forward with my message. "Now you are going to back off from both Salvatore Brothers, no toying with Damon's head, no trying to win Stefan back, not because I asked you nicely but because if you don't I will personally rip your heart out. I protected you from Klaus and I will protect Elena with the same level of dedication measure for measure whatever it takes." My eyes were almost black they had grown so dark and I could feel the rage channelling through my gaze causing Katarina to grow pale.

"This new you is so much more fun." She remarked as an attempt of comic relief and as much as it killed me I found myself laughing slightly under my breath. "But aren't you forgetting that you are supposed to protect me too?" I rolled my eyes and dropped Katarina to the floor, I didn't have to do anything that I didn't want to, not anymore. i could feel my phone vibrate in my pocket as it restlessly alerted me of a phone call, clearly news had spread quickly and I was being checked up on. I laughed wondering if they were scared of what Katarina might do to me, as I shook my head this time resisting a laugh I couldn't help but feel a switch click on in my mind as I snapped my eyes back to Katarina. Fear. That's was key to everything that she did, fear and selfishness literally drove Katarina, she wasn't here for Stefan or for me, it was there in her eyes screaming out at me but in my search for answers I put it down to my presence, she was scared. Petrified and has been for some time. She came here to Mystic Falls for safety, to hid behind the one person she knew was bond to protect her, me. As quickly as I was fitting it all together the warning was falling out of my mouth, if she didn't tell me who we were facing couldn't protect her or Elena at the same time and Katarina would be left fending for herself the one thing she is trying to prevent.

"And I will but only after you tell me the truth because we both know you didn't come here just for Stefan, you have had centuries to retrieve Stefan, you came to this sleepy little town to hide behind me and offer Elena up to whatever it is that has you running scared."

"He never stopped following me, not even after you died." Katarina paused, she looked demonic as she raced to grip my retreating arm, she looked so vulnerable in that moment I almost forgot all about what she had done in the last few hours. A name lingered on my mind but I didn't want to just presume it, I needed her to say it, to say the name of her tormentor and the name of mine.

"Who, Katarina? I need a name" my voice was in a low whisper as I cringed against the breeze that wrapped around me cause me to shiver with anticipation.

"Klaus."

**Now I know this is a bit a head where it should be in the episodes but as I worked through my writers block I realised I need to make a few minor changes to the story arc due to Anya's history with Katarina, Klaus and Elijah. Please R&R **


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